#hui scenarios

[coupsjin]

ੈ✩‧₊˚ svt hyung line: your first date

╰┈➤ summary: your first date! (obviously) so cute

╰┈➤ warnings: svt x afab, kissing (coups, wonwoo, kind of jun)

╰┈➤ a picture is provided for every member, just for you to visualize the setting!

250-400 words per member!

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

scoups / seungcheol

he asks for your number after spotting you at a bbq restaurant. he carefully plans out the perfect picnic date, followed by a night walk by han river! he heavily interviews mingyu on how to make salads, pastas, and anything else he thought you might like.

"you must really like this girl, hyung"

the day comes. he decides to wear simple jeans with a black shirt and sweater (to give to you later ofc!). his legs feel like jelly and become weak with nervousness and excitement, replaying the moment you made eye contact with him in the restaurant and softly smiling to himself. he opens the door and sees you in a stunning outfit, taking a moment to admire you and takes in a breath of the fresh spring air.

"shall we?" he said with sparkles in his eyes.

when you and cheol pick a location under a tree, he gloats about all the delicious food he made you that morning. it's a bit awkward, but the way he talks and looks at you make you at ease.

after having the food he made, it has now become night. like his plan, he gives you his sweater that is way too big for you. he laughs and teases you, but you're distracted by the smell of his cologne wrapped around your body. you blush, and take his hand.

after many laughs and serious conversations, he suddenly turns in your direction and looks into your confused eyes.

"have i told you that you look beautiful tonight?" he says in an almost whisper, a smirk plastering on his face.

he moves one of his hands to the back of your neck, the other moving to your waist, and leans in for a soft kiss.

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

jeonghan

you approach him, but he falls harder. you and jeonghan had a few classes together, and you've waved and made casual small talk a couple times. at first it seemed like nothing - just a classmate. but as your conversations grew more personal, you could sense something was different. did jeonghan think the same?

you decided to put it to the test. after class, you went to his locker and asked if he wanted to study at the library together that day. he jokingly asked if this was a date, and you being flustered, bluntly answered:

"of course not! i just need help with homework."

he agreed, and you came to the conclusion that he didn't feel the same way. until you saw him have a huge smile on his face when he turned to his locker.

at the library, jeonghan kept stealing glances at you. you caught on quite fast, and looked at him back, holding eye contact.

"what, am i that handsome?" he teased.

focused on studying, you didn't pay attention to him for a while. when you do peep a glace, you can see that he's asleep on top of his math books. you were first mad, because he promised to help you with your english assignment. but seeing his long eyelashes cover his cheeks, and his slow breathing made you stare at him for longer.

when you turned your attention back to your textbooks, he opened his eyes a tiny bit, and smiled when he saw you stuck on a problem.

"she looks so pretty." he thought, while pretending to wake up.

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

joshua / jisoo

you meet on a plane, coincidentally sitting next to each other. he smiles when you sit down, and makes small talk while you wait for the plane to lift off. he messages jeonghan for desperate help, wanting to ask for your number but too scared to approach you. he ultimately does get your number, and asks you on a date when you land in korea.

he decides to take you to a street market on a hot summer day. he takes you around different vendors, asking if you want anything at each one. jisoo runs across a bracelet stand, and immediately starts choosing one for both of you. he finds one with a cute bear charm and buys two, running back to you and showing them off.

"what do you think?" he asks, beaming with excitement.

you obviously love them and wear it on your right wrist.

it was getting way too hot, so you two decided to take a break and go to a restaurant for dinner. you have meaningful conversations and have a good laugh when he talks about the time when he poured a huge glass of ice water down seungkwans back, and funny times while living with the members. as time went on, you became comfortable with him.

at the end of your date, he insists you come back to his place for ramen and a movie, but you politely decline as you had some work to finish up.

"i guess that'll be our next date, then." you say, lighting his disappointed face up with a huge smile.

"deal."

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

jun / junhui

you and jun are old friends. you've been friends for 5 years now, and jun hasn't felt attraction to you at all - until now.

at one of your usual hang outs with the rest of your friend group, he pulls you aside from the bar and leads you outside. the streetlamp lit up his face, revealing his sharp nose and eyes. he asks if you want to come over the next day and watch his new drama, exclusive fairytale.

"oh, and it's a date." he says confidently, waiting to see your reaction.

you've also liked junhui for quite some time now, so you were excited to say the least. you happily agree and head back inside to finish up the night out.

you arrive at his house with a comfy but flattering outfit, nervous and excited to see him. you ring the doorbell and the door immediately opens. he welcomes you to his apartment and you head inside and get settled, while he's busy on his phone.

"what are you doing on your phone, jun?" you ask.

"ordering food for our date! what do you wanna eat?"

you decide to order pizza with fried chicken and coke, which he happily orders while smiling at you.

when the food arrives, he turns on the show and you eat the food while catching glances at him. a romantic scene between him and the female lead character plays, and you glare at jun who looks at you nervously.

"is this why you wanted to show me this, so i can get jealous?" you sulked jokingly. he laughs it off and says something you didn't expect.

"wanna recreate it?"

authors note: OMG i had so much fun writing jun's part... yes pls lets recreate it jun

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

hoshi / soonyoung

you met at a dance class held by hybe. he was one of the teachers, and had his eyes on you the whole time. by the end of the class, he was always standing beside or near you, and complimenting you on your dance skills. he pulls you aside and asks for your number (he makes an excuse and says that he would like to collab with you sometime, and not in by any means romantic).

later in the month, you meet him a couple more times to discuss possible collabs and choreos. during the most recent "meet-ups":

"dino cancelled our plans on the weekend.. i wonder what i can do instead?" he asks you with hopeful but nervous eyes.

you suggest asking one of the other members to go out, which he immediately declines for some odd reason. his face scrunches up, thinking of something.

"i want to go with you! lets go bowling this saturday."

surprised by his sudden proposal, you get flustered. it was true that you had developed some level of feelings for soonyoung after talking with him every week, but you didn't expect this.

on the date, both of you had a BLAST. it was a mix of pure rivalry, and taking short glimpses when he was drinking water, or when he wasn't looking at you. hoshi felt the same way. he teased you for struggling to pick up the bowling ball, and having a slip when you were returning to your seat.

he insisted to drive you home. on the drive back, the laughter continued. the moon was big and bright, with seventeen's "imperfect love" playing on the speaker - it was perfect.

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

wonwoo

being the new girl in school, wonwoo had his eyes on you from the start. he isn't the most extroverted type, so he always kept his distance from you. his friends are always teasing him when they catch him staring at you from across the room. it's a big deal for wonwoo to like someone - but it was an easy decision with you.

after school, he approaches you and asks you to a casual dinner (this was when you guys started talking and had become friends). you weren't too sure at first, because you wanted to focus on your studies.

"i guess i'll give him one chance." you thought, and agreed.

he booked a reservation at a pretty prestigious restaurant to impress you. he picks you up at your house, and it's super awkward on the ride there. by the time you two sit down, he's practically begging for the menu just to have something else to talk about.

suddenly, after the food arrived, you two hit it off. conversations were flowing, you were comfortable, laughs were shared, and your feelings for him grew.

when you were talking about one of your classes at school, he stared at you with the most sincere you've ever seen him. flustered, you pause.

"why, what's wrong?" he asks

"nothing's wrong - i'm just admiring you."

after a successful dinner, you walk along the path of a park lit with fireflies and street lamps.

"can i hold your hand?" he asks

instead of replying, you interlock his hand with yours, feeling his warmth travel up your arm. he lifts up your hand and gives it a soft kiss.

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

woozi / jihoon (woozi x producer y/n)

it all started when you sat next to each other in a meeting. you really looked up to him as a producer, and wanted to get to know him better (in a platonic way). after the meeting had ended, everyone gathered for refreshments outside of the room. you asked jihoon for his number, which he happily gave you. he also loved your work and looked forward to meeting with you soon.

you met several times at hybe again, briefly having conversations or just waving when you both were busy. jihoon has had the opportunity to work with you for projects and future plans, and was always the one to initiate new ideas and new meetings. he was just excited to see you.

although both of you had feelings for each other, you couldn't risk professionalism in the work place. so you set it aside. until one day, when you two were alone in his studio, he said the unexpected.

"look - i know this is unprofessional, but i can't help it. would you like to go on a date some time?"

you obviously agreed, having your eye on him for a long time. the plan was to go to an aquarium after work, then return back to finish up some more work.

the aquarium was a walking distance, so it was pretty easy to choose a day. you had a great time at the aquarium, joking with him and just staring at the fish tanks for a long time without a word.

it was time to head back to the hybe office. when you got outside, it was raining. hard. you both looked at each other and bursted out laughing.

"i guess we have to make a run for it!" he said excitingly. he grabbed your hand, and counted down from 3.

"3... 2... 1... go!!"

you ran through the rain, feeling cold splatters on your face and laughing out loud with the perfect guy.

authors note: this is literally so cute.. i saw that picture on pinterest and knew that it had to be woozi :')

[jinkoh]

Pentagon - realizing they have feelings for you

SFW; gender-neutral reader

@huipinkhair requested: Do you think you could write a little ptg ot9 realising they have feelings for you? Like the moment they realise and what they do

a/n: tysm for requesting as always!! ❤️ sorry that it took so long! i hope you'll enjoy these~

Masterlist

Jinho

He sees you working hard at something you’re passionate about. You don’t have to be all that good at it, he’ll always be impressed if you put in an honest effort. He can’t help thinking that it’s admirable because it’s a character trait he values.

He’d probably keep his feelings close to his heart. But if he ever sees you falter or feel insecure, he’d at least tell you how impressed he is with your hard work and encourage you.

Hui

Hongseok

It’s small gestures, like how you leave small sticky notes or a coffee in his studio to cheer him up when he has to work a lot. When he’s tired or things are tough he’ll find himself wanting to see you. It’s not easy for Hui to let others take care of him, but somehow it’s so easy when it’s you. You just make him feel at home.

He doesn’t tell you immediately. For now it’s enough to seek comfort in your presence.

Shinwon

He does something for you, maybe makes you a sandwich or whatever, constantly thinking about what you’d like the best and what would make you the happiest. The moment he gives it to you and sees your grateful smile he's a goner.

Might turn a little clumsy around you, suddenly hyper aware of every little interaction.

Yeo One/Changgu

He makes you laugh with something silly he says. He didn’t even consider it that funny but when you burst into giggles he thinks he wants to be the source of your laughter many many times from here on out.

Tries hard to be funny around you and then smiles fondly whenever your eyes light up with laughter.

You support him in something he does. Maybe he has a musical role or a concert and you come to cheer him on. When he spots you in the audience he'll be overcome with happiness thinking to himself that he really loves you. Might just tell you after the show in a rush of endorphins.

Yanan

Maybe you scold him a little for being thoughtless and at first he gets annoyed and defensive. But then you spill that you’re upset because you were worried about him. He realizes that you must really care for him and somehow it makes his heart flutter? Care for him some more please?

Yuto

He listens to you talking about something you love. Maybe it’s just something small like your favorite yogurt but he realizes he could keep listening forever. And that’s what he does, he keeps listening and thinking over and over how much he adores you.

Kino/Hyunggu

Wooseok

He catches you humming or dancing by yourself while doing something, clearly in a good mood, and he’s just so endeared by it. He’d probably feel torn between gushing over how cute you are and watching in silence so you don’t stop.

Hyunggu would probably feel very excited about confessing to you and not wait too long. Love is something that should be shared after all.

It’s a simple moment. You’re watching a movie or show together, joking around a bit and you’re just so comfortable with him, casually leaning your head against his shoulder or playfully nudging him in the side and that’s when realization sinks in. He's so far gone for you.

Now that he’s aware of his own feelings, he can’t help but be incredibly flustered around you, heart racing at every simple touch.

Masterlist

[ryuwonieebae]

My actor Boyfriend

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𝐉𝐔𝐍 (준), Imagines, One-shot

Pairing : bf!Jun x fem!reader

Genre : fluff, romance

Warning : mentions of being dead, use of pet names(?), boyfriend girlfriend relation, mentions of crying

A/n : This fanfiction is purely based on my imagination only. It's totally fictional. I hope this is good enough to make you guys happy. I'm still learning to write creatively. Thank you for supporting me. It means a lot to me. Thanks to my besties too<3...

When your boyfriend almost gave you a heart attack by his acting skills..

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"You undomestic wicked cat! HOW DARE YOU?!"

"It was an accident! Sorry!"

"So you were accidentally trying to kill me? Maybe I should throw another soap on the floor so you would fall!"

The ear-piercing scream of yours echoed throughout the hallway with you practically exploding with rage. It was intensely piercing that you even had a voice malfunction for a moment. Nevertheless, your outrage hasn't soothed.

Jun was sprinting, trying to escape, breath ragged. As you both were almost near the stairs, you captured Jun by his shoulder but it wasn't firm enough. Which eventually made you lose the grip and propel him with much force. Jun rumbled down the stairs while groaning in pain.

At that moment, you were frozen with utter silence. Unable to process anything at the sight of your boyfriend. After getting back to earth from caratland, you scurried towards Jun who was laying on the floor. In trepidation, you positioned his head on your lap, tapping his delicate rosy cheeks. A tear rolled down your cheek after getting no response. Is it the end? Did you just kill your own boyfriend? Guilty feeling flooded in you, not being able to accept it.

Swiftly, someone's hand surrounded your neck, connecting his warm lips to yours. It was non-other than Jun. Hence, this whole time he was actually feigning? No wonder he's an actor. He deserves the Oscar. Like man what the heck? Jun moved away his lips from yours, giving you a cheeky smile. You felt overwhelmed, your heart skipped a beat and your soul almost left your body. A sigh of solace left your mouth, noticing your boyfriend is more than okay. You smacked Jun's chest out of irritation. You so wanna wipe off his smug look by whacking him. Yet you didn't wanna end up in jail.

The feeling of electricity went throughout your body when Jun once again pulled you in for a tender kiss and broke it again. The heck?

Eyebrows scrunched together with the tensed jaw, you gave Jun a peeved look. Foremost, he basically killed you. Secondly, you had to run a marathon just to catch him. Thirdly, he literally pretended to be dead. Fourthly, he made you shed tears for no reason. Fourthly, he doesn't give you a proper kiss. (I swear my anger issues could never)

Meanwhile, for Jun, the only way to make it up to you is by kissing you over and over not knowing it annoys you a lot. Which he actually did until you forgave him. I guess someone's sleeping on the couch for another two days...

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[minimultiestfandoms]

Pentagon reaction to you asking to tie a bow around it pt.1

requested: no

wanted to start doing fake texts as they are easier to do then writing full fledged fanfics and i’ve been busy with uni and work so please note fake texts are only open for now! i might open small headcanons later on when i get more used to my schedule!

— sunnie

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Hui

Jinho

Hongseok

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taglist; @bigkpopstan, @baka-writings, @haechansfbuddy, @jeonronwoo, @jiminslostjam, @bluejaem, @jisungismymom, @hyuckography, @i-luvsang, @neocrush, @moonshineboyz, @chewryy, @sugarcherriess, @neochan, @jinkoh, @shinwolo, @hazyhae, @mrkis, @dollyji, @tddyhyck, @mrkjaems

[adachicuto]

last date before wedding with ptg

warning(s): food and wine mentions

↳ jinho: helping him with a cover of a song for youtube and it’d be a pretty romantic song maybe ed sheeran thinking out loud or john legend or maybe something else like eyes, nose, lips and you wouldn’t realize that he got you singing. i don't think he'd post it and just want to save it for the two of you to rewatch. it wouldn’t matter to him if you were an amazing singer or not, just being able to share that moment with you would be enough for him. so, it would probably become a tradition where you'd rewatch the cover for every wedding anniversary, and maybe you would cover more songs together each time as a little segment on his youtube channel and the members would text him and tease him about it every time lol

↳ hui: i get the feeling that he would bring you to a really nice yet underrated restaurant where smooth jazz is played and people are allowed to go onstage and perform a song. both of you would have the biggest smiles on your faces because the date would be reminiscent of your first one. you'd end the date off with really good wine and of course, hui would go onstage and sing (he'd claim it as practice for your big day) and would leave the audience stunned by his amazing vocals. on the drive home, his hand would never leave yours and he'd probably fidget with your engagement ring with a huge smile on his face.

↳ hongseok: your "date" would be so sweet and domestic because hongseok just gives me homey vibes. like, you'd both go to the grocery store to get ingredients for dinner and a dessert you both like. idk it would be the cutest thing and then you'd head back home and he'd start cooking while you worked on the dessert and you'd definitely catch him staring at you every few minutes with a goofy smile on his face and he'd wiggle his eyebrows playfully. you'd step away for a second to back-hug him and hongseok would smile to himself before he'd turn around to kiss you and he'd pull away to say something really cheesy but it would still put a smile on your face.

↳ yeo one: i think changgu would plan the cutest little picnic in the park for both of you. he'd pack some of your favorite foods and snacks and would even get you flowers or something. it would be the cutest thing and he'd take a flower and put it behind your ear and you'd do the same to him and then you'd go back and forth about who's the prettiest lol then the two of you would lie down and cloud gaze. idk i can see a really adorable dog running over to the two of you and it would really like changgu and it would be such a cute moment that would lead you to discuss the possibility of adopting a dog after the wedding. once the sun would start to settle below the horizon, you'd head home and would probably spend the rest of the day watching a show or movie.

↳ shinwon: both of you would agree on going to a spa and maybe a little shopping. i could definitely see him goofing around with you while in the sauna by making weird faces and telling you funny stories. then, he'd have you rest your head on his shoulder and he'd smile to himself. then, he'd tell you about how he was so nervous to propose to you. after a few minutes he'd realize that you weren't talking only to find you asleep. so, he'd make sure that you would be comfortable and would relax too. i think he'd love to spoil his s/o so he'd really enjoy going to the spa with you and it'd be a nice break from all of the wedding prep. on the way home, you'd both decide on ordering in bc neither of you would want to cook after being at the spa.

↳ yanan: he'd wake up extra early to get your favorite breakfast foods and coffee. when he'd make it back to your apartment he'd be met with you half asleep on the couch and would quickly put everything down to cuddle with you for a few minutes and then you'd eat breakfast together. afterward, the two of you would get ready to go and yanan wouldn't tell you but it would all make sense later. so, the two of you would go to multiple places throughout the city and you were thankful that they wouldn't be too far and at each stop, you and yanan would talk about what happened at each, like, one place was where he took you for your first date and another would be where you both said you loved each other for the first time. looking back on all of the memories would make both of your hearts feel so full.

↳ yuto: i think you'd go to an aquarium or botanical garden and it would be on a day when it wouldn't be so busy and the two of you could goof around and take funny pictures of each other imitating the animals. throughout the date, you'd both feel like little kids on a field trip again. both of you would stop every few minutes to stare at something you'd find interesting and the look on your faces at that moment would be so adorable and you'd have to capture the moments. after that, you would go get something to eat and then walk back to your apartment. on the walk, you'd both reminisce about how you met, your first date, and how he proposed to you.

↳ kino: i feel like hyunggu would go all out but it would still be a pretty laid-back date idk if that makes sense but he'd sign you up for a couples' dancing class where you'd learn how to tango and it would be so romantic and fun, even if you're not much of a dancer. after that, you'd go back home to shower and then he'd take you out to a really nice restaurant for dinner. the two of you would be so impressed with your meals but the highlight of your would be getting ice cream or your favorite dessert from your favorite place but then on your way back home it'd start raining and you'd have to wait it out inside a nearby cafe with steaming cups of tea. the whole situation would be pretty funny to both of you and it'd make for a nice moment to look back on.

↳ wooseok: being the youngest, i don't think he'd plan everything out and would just go with the flow. so, i think wooseok would also enjoy a night in with you as your date, especially if it would be a rainy day. he'd go and get your favorite snacks and drinks the day before and would surprise you with everything. the two of you would spend the day watching movies, playing video games, and just enjoying the calm before your wedding day. somehow, you'd end up talking about some of your embarrassing moments early on in your relationship and neither of you would be able to stop laughing and maybe you'd each go through your camera roll and it'd be a really cute moment for both of you.

[cyncialwoo]

Lies Dipped in Rococo

-pairing: hyunggu x reader, huitaek x reader

-genre: angst, smut, rococo au, the progress of love???

-words: 7k words

-warnings: a bit of yelling,

-a/n: This one was in the works for a while. I might release a part two... if it goes well, and maybe separate endings. I just wanted to put something out there. I'm still active I swear!!! Thank you all for support!! >>Masterlist

Rococo is an art style, a lifestyle. Organically shaped and covered in gold and pastel colors. Putting an innocent tone over paintings that aren’t so innocent, for tea rooms where women gossip. The high life of the French. 

You sat in the tea room with the other ladies. You had on your best fake smile. You were the youngest out of all of them. Recently, you married the high priest. It was arranged, of course, but he was quite handsome. His name was Kang Hyunngu. Unlike your husband, you grew up in a noble lifestyle. He climbed his way to the top. 

You hummed at one of the lady’s comments. You weren’t listening to what she was saying. You were staring at the panties around the room. One caught your eye, a picture of naked figures on the sea with putti above them. 

“I see you like the painting I added to my collection.” She smiled at you. Her name was…. You could not seem to remember her first name. But her last name stuck out to you. You were still new to this group. Learning all of their names would take time.

“Ah yes, Mrs. Beaumont. What is the name of the painting?” You gained the attention of the ladies in the room. Most of them didn’t have an eye for art. You knew of some that would have their maids. 

“The Triumph of Venus by Francious Boucher.” She let out a slight smile while sipping her tea. You nodded back to her and let the conversation move elsewhere. 

.

The piece stuck with you throughout the day. It could be because of the erotic nature of the painting. She had planned a day to go to the academy to look at the new pieces. You took care of most of the finances in the relationship. It was the only task that you had that wasn’t mundane.  

When you went to his office, he barely looked at you when the two of you were talking about taking over the finances. He replied with one word and pointed at the finance books. You didn’t know him too well at that time. He didn’t know you too well either. 

You picked up the books and looked back at him. He hadn’t looked up from his papers to see you out. It seemed that he did not have even a bit of interest in you. You didn’t talk to him much after you left his office that day. The two of you had never sat down and had a proper conversation. With you, he was reserved and you were the same with him. Neither of you would open up. 

.

You had been home since the meeting at the Beaumonts' place. You were going over the spending for the month, what was in savings, and what were the allowances. You were in your own office, like a hermit. Most days you wouldn’t dare to come out ‘til supper. There was no reason to stroll, but now you wanted to explore art galleries. You were looking down at the finance book, how much money should be put away for artwork? How much did it cost to be a patron?

You could send a letter to some ladies, but you know how judgemental they are. You could ask your head maid to do some digging on others. You were reading about the art world, trying to get as much information as possible.

You had been alone for a while when someone entered the room. You didn’t pay it too much attention at first until a shadow had loomed over you. You looked up to meet the eyes of your husband. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you this late in my office?” You gave him a smile reaching out your hand. He took it and placed a small kiss. It was a flirty gesture you made at him, but a large smile reciprocated it. 

“I hope you will be this public for our upcoming ball.” You raised your eyebrows at his words. Hyunggu wasn’t a social type of person. 

“A ball? Us? We barely attend others, and you want me to host?” You added a bit of a playful tone in your voice even though the matter was serious. Your fake concern was seen, but not spoken on. Although it was true, you did not attend many balls when the two of you married. People didn’t see you and Hyunngy together outside in public often. This would be a first. “I was hoping for a change. I want to present our name as something grand. I am sure you can handle hosting”

You hummed for a bit. “I can handle hosting and planning, but can you handle all the aristocrats? They can be quite annoying.” No matter how much you wanted to add to a pet name, you held yourself back. He hadn’t gone that far with you, and you wouldn’t with him.

“I can’t wait to see how you pull it together. It is in a month. That should give you enough time.” He gave you one final smile before he left the room. He didn’t prolong the conversation, but you wanted him to. The conversation was a bit longer, and you thought you had kept the mood up. So why didn’t Hyunggu talk to you for just a little while longer? He seriously drove you crazy.

.

You were busy the rest of the week trying to design some theme for your home and party. You were still hung up on the artistic style of rococo and decided to go with that as a theme. It was a new and upcoming style. It would make the two of you seem more stylish than you gave off. And you had to budget the whole ball plus the gowns. To you– that was the most important part of the event. It would probably cost more than the catering and cake. 

You knew one thing for certain, you were going to be locked inside your office for the rest of the day. 

. 

The ball rolled around, and you were exhausted from all the planning. You had your maids help her get ready, the dress, the makeup, the hair. There was a sense of pride when you walked downstairs and saw the array of flowers and colors of pastels. Some of the paintings that you ordered have come and were displayed. 

Your husband walked up to you, “It looks amazing such as you do.” You smiled. You felt flattered. 

“Thank you.” 

You sat on a couch sipping tea while watching your husband converse with others. It was a big party with a large guest list. You thought that you were in over your head inviting people that were of a higher class than you. Especially this one noble family. Their son was best friends with the prince. You didn’t expect them to arrive, but it still was a way to get your name out there. 

Your made rushed to you whispering in your ear that they had arrived. You jolted up, the excitement was too much. You followed the maid to where. You were too stunned to speak just follow. It felt like there was no possible way that this man could be in your house right now. 

You walked up to him, still beaming with excitement. “Nice to meet you, Mr Lee. Thank you for coming to my event tonight.” When you looked up at him you could feel your heart beating faster. He had a sweet puppy-like face and was too handsome. Now you were glad he came to your event. 

“Now that I’ve met you, I can say that I’ve come for a good cause.” He reached out his hand to your own slowly bending down to kiss it without making eye contact. There was heat in your cheeks. “Why don’t you show me around your lovely home?”  There was a look in his eye, something of interest. 

.

You showed him around your house, ending up in your private library on a couch. The two of you were laughing. You had to say, he got some good conversation out of you. The more you two drank, the more handsy Hui had gotten. His hands hovering above your own and his eyes rarely broke contact with your own. You sucked in a breath before you took another sip of champagne. It had already been late when Hui arrived at the party, heavens knows what time it is now. 

The two of you were still in deep conversation when your maid slipped into the room looking a bit nervous. She tapped you on the shoulder. “Erm… I just wanted to (warn) tell you that your husband has been looking for you and is headed to the library. Most of the guests have left by now.” 

You brushed it off waving your hand in the air, “It’s probably about the clean-up and what to do next.” You had a smile on your face with a pink tint on your cheeks. It was Hyunggu and he didn’t talk much to you. He only spoke business because, technically, you were part of his business image. 

“Oh dear, does that mean I have to part ways with you already? I thought we were just getting started,” Hui added as he snuck his hand under your own and laid a kiss upon it once more. He had an enamored look in his eyes now like he got a taste of what he was looking for. 

The made to you two was once again a ghost, and nothing else existed but the sound of your voices and the heat between your bodies. The only thing that would break the trance would be two hands on your shoulders. Surprised, you looked behind you to find Hyunggu. “Oh, Dear! You have to meet my new friend. He says my home is lovely and–”

“I'm sure our home is lovely, you designed it after all, but shouldn’t I be the one to talk business with the man, I am the husband.” He didn’t leave much room for you to respond, tightening his grip on your shoulders. You spoke no more. 

“Ah, we should soon. Let’s make a date where I can come over again.” Hui had a smug look that anyone could mistake for liquor. But the way that Hui made a quick glance at you, made your heart skip a beat.

“You’re right. Tonight has already gone too far. I’ll walk you to the door.” Hui stood up and you watched him. Hyunggu had finally lifted his harsh grip from your shoulders. You stood up as well, but the men were already half out of the door. Hui looked back at you and gave you a wink with a soft smile. 

.

You had returned to your room undressing, bathing, dressing, and slipping into bed with a book. Hui gave you a recommendation from your library, and you promised to read it. You had walked around the library with Hui before sitting down and talking. Hui was an observer, the way he watched you talk, and the way he examined the room. While the two of you walked around the book collection, he suddenly pulled out a book and gave it to you. You smiled to yourself holding the book to your chest. There was a knock at your door that interrupted your flashback– or shall I say daydream. “Come in.” You said in a soft voice to the person on the other side of the door. 

Hyunggu opened it, only now you were able to see his eyes. Angry, almost, but for a reason that you don’t know. You only turned to him to see who walked into your room, then turned back to your book. 

Your husband bored you and to you, whatever he was going to say would not make it any better, so you went back to your book. You heard him sigh, maybe it was the stress from hosting such a huge party. You flipped the page. 

“Do you have any shame?” Hyunggu said in a slightly irritated voice. It was clear he was trying to hold himself back, but the venom slipped through the cracks. 

“What?” You said now putting your book aside. You looked directly at him. 

“You disappear for half of the night into some secluded room, and you don’t think people will talk. Especially with that man’s ties with the prince?!” There was urgency in Hyunggu’s voice. He ran his hands through his hair. He was still angry, now you looked at him, analyzing him. He hadn’t changed from his attire from the part. He looked like he had been sweaty. You were sure it had been some time since Hyunggu walked Hui out the front door. So what had he been doing since then? 

Either way, he was coming for you, almost accusing you of adultery. Sure, you didn’t like Hyunggu as a husband, but you did have some respect for the man. “So this is about image? Because if it is–”

“It’s not about image it’s about the fact that my WIFE was gone half of the night and I didn’t even have an answer as to where you were. God, I had to ask your maid for an idea. The event went well if people weren’t asking for your appearance half of the damn time.”

“You don’t like me by your side if you mind me reminding you.”

“And when I did seem to find you when everyone else was gone, you were with a man. A man? What do you think about how he thinks of me now? So oblivious that I can allow my wife to slip away? “ He didn’t even hear your statement. He was ignoring you just blabbering on and then he got to the part about Hui’s glances. “He was looking you up and down undressing you with his eyes. In my house! He was thinking of undressing YOU. IN. MY. HOUSE.” 

“Have you been drinking, Hyunggu?” You said without giving too much thought to what was coming out of your mouth. You were starting to become concerned. 

“THATS NOT IMPORTANT.” Hyunggu was pacing around the room now. He was in over his head angry. A part of you was scared. This normally quiet man of your husband was now yelling in your bedroom. 

“I think you need to calm down.” You said with a little more urge in your voice. You were ready for him to leave and didn't know how to calm Hyunggu down. He was still walking back and forth when you got up from your bed walking toward him. You cupped his face, “You need to calm down.” You spoke softly to him, looking into his eyes. “Okay?” He looked back in yours before he ripped his face out of your grasp, and stormed out of the room slamming the doors. 

You didn’t sleep that night, the book acted as a source of comfort.

. 

You had been avoiding meeting hyunggu ever since the incident in your room. Dinner was the only time that you couldn’t escape from him. Neither of you had spoken either. You avoided eye contact from him, or read your book at the dinner table. 

You awaited Hui’s return, but perhaps he did not mean it when he said he would visit again. You spent your time in your drawing room, embroidering, reading, painting, and anything to pass the time. Going on strolls in the garden behind your house was your new favorite pastime. It felt more and more empty with every day, and you asked for more flowers and asked for more statues. You needed something more than an empty garden.   

You searched for some type of fulfillment for your boredom. You frequented as many teas and balls as you could in hopes of running into Hui again. Especially at balls, since you had met him on your own. It was a new move trying to go to all of the events of the social season since you weren’t that high of a noble. You needed the connections, so you had the ball in the first place, but you didn’t see much of a chance moving up in the ranks. 

You did get the attention of many of the lady’s husbands, which got you somewhere in mentioning your husband. Even though you were not interested in Hyunggu as much, you still had to stick by him. Who else was going to support your endeavors in art? You could think of one person but still could not find him anywhere.

.

You were getting ready for another ball you frequented with or without your husband. Sometimes Hyunggu would “tag along” for the connections that were there. This ball in particular, Hyunggu did not fancy it at all. You didn’t hear anything from the staff about him getting ready or wanting to go.

You left your estate feeling free since there wouldn’t be someone’s (hyunggu’s) eyes on you all night. You walked into the ball, the lights were dim creating a sense of ambiance. You wandered about most of the ball. You weren’t much of a dancer, but more of a socialite. 

You were laughing with one of the ladies you usually have tea with when someone tapped you on the shoulder. You turned yourself around and met Hui’s eyes. You curtsied to him, and he took your hand again to kiss it. His lips left a small fire burning on your hand for the rest of the night. “I have not seen you in so long.” You smiled up at him. You wanted to say that you missed him, but it felt like too much. 

“I am not an easy man to come across.” He had a sly look on his face as if he had won something. He held onto your hand escorting you somewhere more quiet, like before. You could tell he liked his privacy. 

“I can tell, you never called when you say you would.” You remarked in a slightly pouty tone. You would not give him too much, not yet at least. “At this point, you are just... teasing” You looked up into his eyes looking for something, and was met with a soft smile. 

“I did not think even if I were to call, that your husband would accept it. I am glad you felt the same way I have.” His hands lingered on yours, holding them. The two of you were outside in the garden. The sky was clear and full of stars. 

“What feeling do we share?” You asked inching towards him. The moonlight only made him look more dreamy. 

“The feeling of something igniting every time your skin touched. The passion.” His hands holding your upper arm. “That is why you were looking for me again, is it not?”

“You looked down at your own hands, “That is why. I do miss your company and our conversation. Which is why I wish you could visit me in my garden. It is empty, almost like my house. Like my heart when you are not next to me.” 

He tucked a hair behind your ear as an excuse to hold your face. “Then I will meet you in that garden.” He leaned in to kiss you, and it was soft. You leaned more into him grabbing him by his waist, and he grabbed you by yours in return. You smiled into the kiss, as he ran his hands up into your hair. 

He pushed you up against the wall, as the two of you became breathless. His hands were still in your hair tugging at it making the kiss deeper. He pulled away after a few moments trying to catch his breath. “We both can’t continue this here nor today.” Hui was looking down at the ground. His hands were on his hips as he thought of a solution to both of your dilemmas. “I shall have to visit your garden sometime…” Hui said, looking at you with a smile. 

“We should get back to the ball now before we are missed.” You replied and linked your arm with his. The two of you walked back to the ball to enjoy the rest of your night dancing and talking with Hui. You enjoyed his company more than Hyunggu’s. You felt like you had known Hui for an entire lifetime. 

.

You spent more and more time in the garden. New flowers were blossoming, and your statues came in. There was one you put on a pedestal– an angel. He looked like he was sitting and had a finger in front of his mouth hushing. Two other statues sat on the ground. They were angels, one hugging the other. You smiled to yourself proud of the way you had decorated the garden, but it was missing something.  The trees around your garden looked overgrown. The biggest tree had a branch that seemed to curl into itself. You couldn’t put to your mind what you were missing just yet. You walked around more of your garden seeing where else you could put statues. You had a thing for putti, the little devious angles that were found everywhere. It was too cute and fitting for Hyunggu’s job. 

You smiled to yourself looking over at your garden one last time. You turned to head back to your estate when your maid ran to you with a letter in her hand. “A.. Letter… from Marquis Lee.” As soon as those words left her mouth you beamed and ran to her to retrieve the letter. Your two dogs barked in the back of her. One was a brown and white cocker spaniel who was perfectly groomed and a Coton de Tulear, who was more energetic. Coco, who was the white puppy, and Ava, who was the brown and white puppy both ran up to you before you could get your hands on the letter. You giggled playing with the puppies, for a moment before making sure to take the letter and shove it into a pocket of your dress for safekeeping. You continued to run around the garden playing fetch with the puppies. 

You had been out there for somewhat of an hour when you felt someone’s eyes on you. You turned around to see Hyunngu leaning on a pole of your veranda. He had a soft smile for a moment before he got caught. He made his way towards you, and you called the dogs to your side as you walked to meet up with him. “Did you need my presence?” You said as you curtseyed a little at him.

“No, but you can say it was missed. You are usually inside.” Hyunggu said as he looked around at your backyard. It had changed since the last time he had been back here. It bloomed with your taste and creativity. He allowed himself to smile, admiring what you did to the place. “I think I know what your garden is missing… I shall order it and have it installed.”

“I already have more statues on the way,” you said. You guessed earlier that the garden missed more statues. Your garden needed a story of itself to tell, and to you, statues would fix that. 

Hyunggu chuckled a little, “No not that. Something else. Exotic, but I think you will enjoy it.” He nodded to himself before looking down at the two pups following you. “Seems that you liked my wedding gifts as well.” He felt proud of himself with that one. 

“I have grown attached to them, yes.” You answered Hyunngu bending down to ruffle Coco’s soft white furr. Dogs were often a gift in marriage as a symbol of loyalty. Given to a woman for the expectation of her loyalty. You knew that and so did he. Coco and Ava were a symbol of what you were meant to be as a woman. Sometimes you loved them but hated them for the reason they were here. “I shall see you at dinner,” you said with a smile and a curtsey to excuse yourself. Once again, you called the dogs after you while heading inside. It was time to read your letter.

And write a new one you would send in secret.

.

You almost fell asleep at your desk with all of the drafts you had written to Hui. You wanted to sound smart and eloquent, but you could not seem to get the right tone down. You groaned in frustration, throwing yourself back in your chair. His words were so sweet and rolled off the page like melting wax with a cherry scent. How could you ever match up with that? How could you make him feel like he’d be melting off of a small piece of paper?

In the back of the garden, there lies a pathway leading to a woman with her angel of a child. Next to her is a pedestal of our own, where our love can grow taller than any tree in my garden. We will make the flora around us bloom continuously. 

At the end, you signed your name. You wished to meet him there in that spot, on that same pedestal. You wished to steal another kiss from his soft lips and feel the way he held you. You found yourself with your hands in your hair, soothing it and slightly tugging on it just the way he did. Your hands trailed to your lips, brushing your fingers across them softly. A smile fell upon your lips reminiscing the one kiss you shared with him, that made every fiber of your body burn even a couple of days after. You leaned back in your chair sighing from the satisfaction of your daydream. You stayed like that for moments upon a time, just thinking how it would be if Hui could have courted you. When you were satisfied with the tiny scenarios you opened your eyes. You still needed to seal the letter that sat on your desk. You melted the wax and bored it onto the folded paper before you pressed the wax seal on it. It was your old one– before you were associated with Hyunggu. It was personal and just… you. Just you and him. 

You hid the letter you had written for Hui in between a textbook, for safekeeping. The one he wrote you needed a special place in your room. You could go shopping the next day for boxes, but for now, the best place to keep the letter would be close to you. You crawled into bed, taking the letter with you, sliding into the covers, and sliding the letter under your pillow. 

.

You sat at the dining table dressed up ready to go get some more writing supplies along with a box for yourself. Something about it just made you feel so giddy about the idea of getting to exchange letters with Hui back and forth. Even though you prefer to speak to him face-to-face letters would have to do. You wouldn’t want Hyunngu to become as frustrated as he was the night of the ball. Nor would Hyunggu ever let Hui set foot on his property. Letters were still personal, but not as intimate. 

Hyunggu had been acting differently since the night he came into your room. He had been softer in a way, and trying to connect with you more. He would try and match up the time the two of you had meals, he would try to meet you in the library acting as if he needed a book, and the way he came in the garden the day before. The gift he mentioned, you wondered why he would possibly want to get you a gift and what even was the gift. Hyunggu was still three-quarters of a mystery to you. You broke fast talking with your maid about what stores you wanted to visit, and if there was anything new that you had not seen before. 

Hyunggu walked into the room, and you quieted down in front of him. You looked up to see him smiling so early in the morning. He walked up to you to where you were sitting, “I am going to have something being installed today. You are going to be out today, correct?” 

You nodded at him replying, “I am.” You took another bite of your food to postpone talking to him. Hyunggu stared down at you a small smile still on his lips. You looked up at him, there was something more that he wanted to say to you or wanted to do. You noticed the way his fingers twitched at the side of him. “So I suppose you better have it installed before I come home. So I should take my time out today.” 

.

You hadn’t checked the garden to see what was installed when you came home, not when you received another letter so fast. The rest of the afternoon was sent in your room drafting yet another letter. The day had gone by so fast that by the time you looked outside your window, it was already late at night and there was no use to go outside. Hui had mentioned how he would come by soon to that pedestal and how your love story would grow. 

There was a knock at your door in the middle of the night. You had called your maid to come retrieve the letter and have it sent off as soon as possible. Hyunggu peered his head through the door before a sound could come out of your mouth. You coughed a bit slipping the letter under other documents and books. You plastered a fake smile on your face sitting with your legs crossed. You were leaning against your desk wearing only a nightgown. Hyunggu let himself in your room, “You never visited the garden today… Did you catch something while you were out in town?” His head tilted to the side as he walked closer towards you. “You did not eat dinner either. I was worried about you.” Hyunggu’s hand fell upon your cheek and traveled to your chin lifting it. 

You cleared your throat once more. “I apologize, when I came home I was feeling too well. I retreated to my room for some rest. I hope you were not offended.” Hyunggu smiled. His hand left your chin and went up to your forehead. His other hand went up to his. 

“You do feel a bit warm. Shall I call our  physician?” You shook your head slightly. You could not be more of a bother to him, nor did you seek his attention. You used to try everything to get him to look at you. You had suspected that this had something to do with Hui. Ever since Hyunggu found you in the library smiling, laughing, and talking with Hui, something inside Hyunggu flipped. Hyunggu visiting you in the middle of the night is rare. He did visit you a few times on the topic of financial matters, but nothing more than business. “Alright,” He replied letting his hands fall to his side. “But you should rest nonetheless, so you can feel better in the morning. I will be there to break your fast with you as well.”  Hyunggu leaned in to kiss your temple before leaving your room. 

You felt stunned by the sudden affection from your husband. You touched the place he kissed on your forehead. You bit your lip and called in your maid to give her the letter. Your sentences were short, telling her to send the letter out and that you would spend the entire day outside tomorrow. When she left you could barely fall asleep drumming your fingers in your chest. Your head played back to the kiss on your forehead from Hyunggu, then to the kiss you shared with Hui in the garden.  

..

The next morning felt brighter than the rest. You would find a surprise in the garden, and hopefully have a surprise visit from your so-called lover. The day was quiet and bright with a subtle breeze flowing through an open window. You had eaten with Hyunggu earlier that morning, and you could still not get over how he smiled at you. He held your hand and walked you to the garden that bright morning. 

He showed you the swing, tied by a thick rope into the three. It was gold with a velvet seat. It almost looked like a throne he got only for you. Hyunggu had lifted you from your waist to sit you in the swing. He held his hands in yours gripping the rope and pulling you back on the swing. He pushed the two of you forward. It felt like a moment that could be frozen and displayed for eternity. The way you flew through the air was a different type of magic. The sound of his laughter rang in your ears. He sounded so pure, so childlike. It was different from the way you knew him before. Everything had changed so fast in such little time. You two stayed in that moment that could have been taken out of a fairytale before a butler called him into the house to work on some matters. He caught the swing to slow it down so you could get off. He helped you off, holding your hand and giving it a peck before bidding you adieu. 

A pinch of guilt was felt in your stomach, the feeling that you betrayed Hyunggu. Even though your vows weren’t genuine, they still existed. You strolled through the garden, fingertips grazing the blooming petals around you. The way Hyunggu kissed you by your hand, took you aback to the way Hui kissed your hand. And soon enough, you were thinking of the way he kissed your lips. Flashes of scenes of the past two to three weeks ran through your mind. You sat and thought on a ledge of a wall. You closed your eyes to feel the breeze and the way the sun made parts of your skin tingle and warm. The sun felt like there was a second embrace hugging you and comforting you through your thoughts. The warmth helped with the loneliness that you felt, till the warmth was gone and you were cast in a shadow. 

You opened your eyes slowly, slightly afraid of what your eyes would meet as soon as they were introduced to the outside world. Hui whispered softly, “I know this wasn’t the place we were supposed to meet, but I hope you don’t mind.” You smiled and scooted over patting a seat for Hui to sit.

“I don’t mind at all. I am grateful you saved me from loneliness on this beautiful day.” You laid your head on his shoulder, your smile growing by the seconds. The two of you were deep in the garden of your estate, hidden by the numerous flowers around you. The sweet aroma of the flora filled the two of you with romance. Hui had an arm around you, and his other holding your hand. “I read the book you recommended to me.” You said in a soft whisper.

“Do you think I have good taste?” The arm over your shoulder drew circles on your forearm. The two of you were looking ahead as if there was nowhere else to look, nothing else to do, and nothing more to say. 

“I think we both know the answer to that question”. You laughed a little, letting your eyes crease, relaxing and acting naturally with Hui. You turned your head to look at him and gave him a small peck on his cheek. The creases on the corner of his eyes soon mirrored your own. He leaned down trying to give you a proper kiss. Being playful, you quickly switched out your lips for a flower before running off. You threw the flower to the side once Hui realized what was touching his lips. You were on your feet, running around the garden while Hui sprung off of his seat behind you to chase you. The sounds of your giggles filled the air as Hui continued to catch up with you. He tackled you into a patch of grass, he nuzzled into your neck starting to peck you. Hui attacked you with kisses all over your face and neck while you squealed trying to escape him. 

The rest of the day went by quickly with mostly chatting, soft touches, and short kisses. It was a fever dream, an idea that you could escape your marriage in your magical garden. You had dinner with Hyunggu that night barely looking up to meet his face. There was guilt that beat the smile off of your face. You stared down at your food, watching it slowly get cold. You also couldn’t bring yourself to hold the fork to your mouth, not in his presence. “Was there something I did that was wrong today? I’m sorry that I could not stay outside with you. And because of that interruption, I have some news for you. I will have to leave the estate for some business out of state for a while– I shouldn’t be too long. Three weeks to a month.” You looked at him blankly, not knowing what to say. “I know this is a lot and sudden.”

There was nothing you could think to say to him. Guilt began to fill your mouth, trying to force its way out. “It is, I hope it goes well.” A nice quick reply would do for now. You didn’t mind him being gone when he was barely there initially. Only just recently did he start making an appearance in your life. Still, Hyunggu had the title of your husband, and that was enough to make you feel a bit of guilt. 

.

By the next day, Hyunngu was packed up and gone from the estate. You made the most of the time having the place to yourself. More talks in the garden lead to talks in the library and many things behind closed doors. Carelessness filled your head as you let Hui inside your room, for a break from the sun. Really, it was so that you wouldn’t sweat under the layers of clothing when he touched you. You could be free from worry, and clothing. Hui held your face kissing you with passion he had not shown you before. He had nothing to hide anymore, not his passion for you. You held his shoulders for support as he kissed down to your neck trying to pry open your bodice. You helped him take off your dress, smiling and giggling with him. Hui took care of himself as you got comfortable on the bed. Who knew sex could be so fun when you add a bit of passion and the joy of eating the forbidden fruit? Hui’s lips were on you in an instant, his hand on your thigh soothing it. He made room for himself in between your legs, while his kisses trailed down your body. He worshiped you, every inch of your skin was left on fire after his kisses. When his face reached your heat he looked up at you. Hui’s eyes were glistening by the candlelight. “May I, my dear?”, he asked licking his lips.

“You may,” was all you needed to say before his lips were attached to your clit lapping and kissing like he wasn’t going to be able to do this again. His hands squeezed at your thighs, to keep you from closing in on him. His breath was hot against your cunt, as he gasped for air. You moaned as you felt his tongue enter you. You grasped his hair, whimpering as he sped up this pace. You were so close to your release, holding onto your sheets for dear life as your legs shook. You came with a screech, closing your legs around Hui’s head. He continued to lap up your cum, rubbing his thumb on your inner thigh. Your breathing was heavy as you ran your hand through your hair. 

     Hui detached himself from you, only to kiss you. He was murmuring something you couldn’t hear. You could feel Hui’s hard against your thigh. You helped guide him towards your entrance, needy for what more pleasure he would bring you. He pushed in with a deep kiss on your lips. He was slow at first so you could get used to him. He pulled back to look at you, and you stared at him with all of your combined beauty. You pulled him into a kiss with such passion urging him to quicken his pace. Hui bit at your lip pulling it while he quickened his pace. You could feel him drawing near as he began to let out moans of pleasure. You kissed his neck biting it and sucking at it trying to draw him closer. Hui came with a shaky moan, falling on top of you and leaving small kisses. The rest of the afternoon was a blur. 

.

You had been so caught up in your new love affair, that Hyunggu was coming home sooner than expected. The house seemed buzzing, with gossip about the past week and preparations. You tried to control as much of the gossip as you could. It was bad that you only felt guilty after the fact that you had done something. Your maid had come with a letter from Hui, and you rushed to put it in a chest that you kept. This whole ordeal made you nervous, even though you had put yourself in a hole. You barely loved Hyunggu, so what was this sinking feeling in your chest? You waited in your room for Hyunggu to arrive home. You cross-stitched until there was a knock at your bedroom door. You opened it to see Hui smiling back at you looking a bit frantic. You hadn’t read the letter he sent you earlier. Moments later you heard the commotion of unpacking in the house.

[multiphandomunnies]

pentagon

reactions

accidentally seeing their gf naked

found out the wrong way social media au intros

found out the wrong way part one

found out the wrong way part two

found out the wrong way part three

found out the front way part four

s.o getting shy when they kiss

imagines

jinho

hongseok

flustered

hui

e’dawn

365 so stress

how cute

shinwon

yeo one

yanan

too much effort

kino

yuto

something special (*M*)

technology free

lovers night

wooseok

give it a rest

[yuthoe]

Fatigued (PENTAGON: Hui)

after a quick look at my last fic post, i realized that it's been a little more than a year since i last posted any original thing from me lmaooo

i still have an unfinished vampire!wonho fic but i keep getting stuck cuz writing smut is haaaard. so since i have downtime from our workshop i decided to finish this, so i'm sorry if it seems like the ending is rushed. this one is still super tame compared to the others i have mapped out (as far as angst goes, this is not the heaviest one lol) so i hope y'all look out for those

PAIRING: Hui (Lee Hoetaek) x gn!reader. GENRE: fic, general, angst. WARNINGS: vampire!au—contains mentions of blood. WORD COUNT: 1,697.

---

Hoetaek closes the door to his apartment quietly, slinging the strap of his crossbody off his shoulder and carefully setting it on the floor of the entryway before toeing off his shoes. In his other hand he holds a rectangular insulated bag, small enough to not be conspicuous, but big enough to fit his refills if they’re packed right.

It’s the first time he’s come home to his apartment in a week, cooped up in his studio composing songs, fixing demos, struggling with lyrics. It was only the notification from his phone reminding him of his appointment at the hospital that got him to get up and fix the clutter around the room.

Now he tiredly carries the insulated bag into the kitchen, propping the fridge door open with his leg and opening the zip of the bag carefully.

The blood bags are carefully packed into the container—enough for around two weeks. Hoetaek doesn't need to feed often (he's gotten a good handle on his thirst throughout the decades), but he still regulates his feeding times so he doesn’t burn through them all in one sitting. Before he holed himself up in the studio, he made a point to stock his body up on nutrients so he didn’t have to bring any bags to clutter up the mini-fridge there.

Hoetaek sighs, blinks hard a few times to clear the daze out of his eyes so he can store the bags properly at the back of the fridge, but giving up quickly. He’s dizzy, sleepy, bone-tired, and frankly a little smelly from working non-stop these past few days. Before he passes out from exhaustion, he decides to just dump the refills onto the only empty space near the front of the fridge. A nice, hot shower and a soak in the bath is in order.

He dumps the now empty bag on the countertop and makes a quick stop to the bedroom to fetch his towel, before heading to the bathroom. Along the way, he taps on his phone with one hand, typing out a quick text to you. 

Hey, honey. I'm back at the apartment. Gonna take a quick shower, but you can come in anytime. 

Hoetaek leaves his phone on the counter top, and inch by inch relaxes as he settles into his bath time routine.

—

The bath is steamy when he finishes an hour later, refreshed and ready to take a much-deserved break. He whistles as he pads barefoot to the bedroom to change into the soft and comfy pajamas you gave him recently. When he finally finishes dressing and doing his minimal skincare routine, he steps out to the living area and sees you seated on the small couch.

“Oh, hi, babe! Didn’t hear you come in.” A lie. He heard it loud and clear when his phone buzzed on the counter midway through his shower; heard the quiet thud of the door and the lock fastening on the latch when you came in; heard the shuffling of your feet as you walked around the apartment in your house slippers; heard you rifling through the kitchen and the fridge looking for food or something to make a light meal with because he knows you like cooking for him after he’s had a tough day at work.

Cat’s out of the bag, as far as Hoetaek is concerned—you definitely saw the blood bags in the refrigerator. He is just delaying the inevitable at this point, refusing to acknowledge that he knows about your discovery and the worried and suspicious look on your face as you sit in silence.

“Yeah, I got in around fifteen minutes ago,” you say. He notes the way you twiddle your thumbs in your lap, looking away quickly to make a beeline to the kitchenette. It’s clean, just the way he left it an hour before, with no signs of anyone attempting to cook anything. Hoetaek figures you were too shaken by what you saw and gave up trying to whip something up and pretend everything is fine.

It is with a quiet resignation that he reaches into a cupboard for an opaque mug and rummages in the fridge for a blood bag, keeping his back towards you to hide him unscrewing the stopper and squeezing out the thick liquid into the mug. “Are you hungry? We can get something delivered,” he calls out, drowning out the sloshing sounds of the blood pouring out from the bag. Once he’s filled the mug almost to the rim, he screws the cap back on with practiced ease, licking his fingertips clean before stowing it back in the fridge, just on top of the pile.

Hoetaek hears you stand and pad all the way to the counter separating the kitchen from the living area as he looks for a reusable straw in one of the drawers, plopping it in the mug. “No, I’m good,” you say. The sweet taste of A-positive soaks his tongue as he takes a sip and he sighs in relief. He takes another drag through the straw before turning to face you, that worried look still on your pretty face. “Just…”

Your nails nervously tap on the faux-marble countertop. “Are you okay, Hoetaek? Are you sick or something?”

He holds the cooling mug tightly in both hands, shrugs. “What do you mean?”

You worry your bottom lip between your teeth. “I… I saw blood bags. In the fridge.” And then you start rambling. “I was just looking for something to cook for you because I know you’ve been at the studio working the whole week and figured you might want a salad or noodles or something. I didn’t mean to see—they were just there and I thought it was a pile of, I don’t know berry flavored jelly, I guess? But then I flipped one over and realized it’s blood and it had the label and everything, so I freaked out because how did you get that much blood and what are you gonna use all of it for?? Now, I’m concerned and worried and just a little bit freaked out about this whole thing.” Your fingers continued tapping a staccato rhythm as you talked, and finally still when you stop to catch a breath.

The mug almost falls out of Hoetaek’s hands as he regards you with shining eyes. He’d been lying to you, keeping such a big part of himself a secret from you for years. He can tell himself that he did it to protect you, to keep you away from the uglier side of him, but that’s not the whole truth. The fact of the matter is, Hoetaek is just scared; he is scared that you’ll just run off when the truth comes to light and he doesn’t think he can handle that.

The vampire sets the mug down on the counter next to the refrigerator, the contents well out of your sight, before standing in front of you. He lets the marble island between you act as a barrier, even as he takes both your hands in his. His thumbs smooth across your skin, teeth biting at his lip as he tries to find the right words.

“Babe… Thank you for worrying,” he finally starts. “But you didn’t need to. I’m not sick, although I know you get concerned that I’m too pale sometimes, but that’s just because I’m cooped up in the studio a lot.” He chuckles, and sees a corner of your mouth twitch upwards. He takes a deep breath before continuing. “We’ve been together for almost three years. And considering that I plan to get on your nerves for the foreseeable future, I suppose I need to be straight with you.

“I’m…” He takes a deep breath. “Well, to put it simply, I’m not human. I’m a vampire and I drink blood. I was born in the late 1890s, but I’ve been 30 for around eighty years or so.” He watches your face, looking for any sign of disgust or apprehension in the lines on your forehead. “I know this is a lot, and I’m not expecting you to stay after finding out about all this. If you need a break—from me—I completely understand.”

Hoetaek squeezes your hands and is about to release them, but you tighten your grip.

“You…” Hui’s brows knit as he watches you struggle to find words. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” he replies quickly. “Take all the time you need.”

“No, it’s… I’m okay with it, I think?” You keep his hands in yours as you round the corner of the island to stand beside him. “I don’t mind that you’re a vampire, at least. I know I have questions, but I just don’t know how to word them properly, I guess?” The heat of your palms travels up as you drag them along his arms, across his shoulders, and stop to gently hold his cheeks. “I still love you, if that’s what you’re worried about,” you say. “I have no reason to stop loving you, Hoetaek.”

He squeezes your hands, knuckles white. “But…,” he whispers, voice breaking. “I’m not like you, I’m not human—I’m different… Does that not scare you?”

You look square in his eyes, searching for something in them, and then you slowly shake your head. “No. You’re you, and as far as I’m concerned, the only different thing here is that you apparently drink blood straight out of the bag. You don’t feel different, you don’t look or sound different. So you’re still my Hoetaek, right?”

Hoetaek thinks he could cry. It never crossed his mind that you would turn him away after baring himself—you have no bad bone in your body. But hearing you say so confidently that you still love him, that he’s still yours… made his long dormant heart almost beat again.

He surges forward and wraps his arms around your waist, buries his nose into your neck. (He is definitely not crying.) “I love you,” he whispers. “I love you so much.”

Hoetaek feels your head rest against his, your arms embracing him so gently, so carefully. “I love you, too. Always.”

[takorossi]

Pentagon as Pentagon Songs / Covers

(... that I associate them with, purely self-opinion)

Jinho

hmmm "Someday - Song By JINHO, HUI"?

i feel like Jinho really slayed the vocals on that one you know

if it's not "Someday" then it would probably be "Round 2 - Bonus Track" because #jinhoWWEcommentator era

"Spring Snow"!!!!!! SPRING SNOW.

spring snow.

i loved how excited he was at wanting to perform "Spring Snow" for Road to Kingdom

and also the feels

Hui

would it be basic if i said "Shine"??? not if it's the truth ...

"Shine"

because come on, we all know why it's "Shine", what are you talking about if it's not "Shine"???

maybe "Happiness" because i felt like Hui in that M/V was pretty memorable

but also his line in "Organic song" (E'dawn, Yuto, Woo Seok With Hui), both in the original when Dawn performed it by himself in Pentagon Maker and also the released track

"Basquiat"?? VOCAL KING.

Hongseok

honestly the first thing that comes to mind is "Very Good - PENTAGON Version" (originally by Block B) from RTK

the chocolate abs left an impression

and also the "it's okay as long as he doesn't dance inappropriately afterwards" - an RTK staff member

"Dr. Bebe"

the chocolate back left an impression

"Sparkling Night" because his Oppa-ness really popped off there, ESPECIALLY in this Special Live Clip, wow that video really took me to heaven and back you know, i ascended

Shinwon

if i'm going for associated images seared into my brain, i would pick "DO or NOT" because #jokershinwon era and also "Feelin' Like" even though i know he doesn't like it because POOL SHINWON??? shinwon with GLOVES??? ma lord almighty,,,

if i'm going for music music, it would be "Daisy" because he does my favourite line in that entire song ("haengbokhaeya dwae") in that whisper/breathy tone, sorry i'm just simping at this point

but by that logic, i would also associate him with "Naughty Boy" because of the chicken lyric ... it really stuck

if i don't put "One Shot" here, am i really a Shinwon fan?

so "One Shot" because he wrote it

Yeo One

"Pretty Pretty", definitely

high school Yeo One.

nerd Yeo One era.

mushroom Yeo One era.

Yeo One with GLASSES.

also "Eat" (originally by Zion.T) because :( Pentagon Maker :( Yan An :( comfort chocolate :( ("saranghae ... yO")

Yeo One's verse in "Round 1 - Bonus Track", specifically the part where he goes "nappeun saram ... Yanan, Yanan, Yanan"

Yanan

"Feelin' Like"

muscles.

absolute massive badonkerhonker muscles.

but also "Daisy" because i really like the way he dances in it, feels floaty and nice

also "Eat", for the same reasons as Yeo One

also "Round 1", specifically the part where he goes "(ya geuraedo bang gachi sseuneunde) HWAJANGSHI!!!"

Yuto

probably an unpopular opinion but "Shine" is one of them

his rap and the transition back to the group formation in their "Shine" stages left a sensation in my brain that i don't know how to explain

that one unique #notlikeothergirls "Yuto-da" in "Fantasystic"

those verses of Japanese rap in "Cerberus"? chef's kiss.

that low-toned Wooseok!mock-scream in "Round 2"

Kino

first of all, "Dr. Bebe", for less superficial reasons than Hongseok

like i really, and i mean REALLY love his entire persona in "Dr. Bebe"

from the stages to M/V, the facial expression and stature and makeup were EVERYTHING

in chinese, there's this thing we call 病态 (bìng tài), which directly translates to "state of being sickly" and it sounds kind of wack if you put it like that, but basically the way he embodied that psychological inner warfare in his dance and expressions was absolutely Oscar-worthy

"Daisy" because of his tattoo, and his florist dreams, and his dance, and that mafia dance variety thing they did

just. "Daisy". yeah.

Wooseok

i don't know if it's because of his unique rapping tone, but i associate him with a lot of Pentagon's songs

i mean he wrote and composed my absolute favourite Pentagon song, "BAD"

he also did "Nostalgia", which i like

his verse in "Sparkling Night"??? vocal Wooseok???

"Naughty Boy"??????????

okay that one because i hated his hair in it, i'm sorry Wooseok

but also i felt like he was so intrinsically linked with that song for some reason

it just screamed Wooseok to me

uhm

"The Magic Flute ("Der Hölle Rache" - Queen of the Night aria)"

oops

i'm sorry that was just for the crack i swear

[don-dake]

「Goodbye kiss?」

「喂！佢會唔會畀人騙財騙色呀？！」

“Hey! Do you think she would be cheated out of her wealth and her body?”

「嘩！我覺得嗰個鬼仔畀嫲嫲騙色多啲喔！」

“Whoa! I think it looks more like that Caucasian guy is being taken advantage of his body by Grandma!”

「佢錫你喔…佢有冇呃你啲錢啊？」 *

“He kissed you…did he cheat you of your money?”

「唔好啦！嗰簿仔等我同你keep住先啦！」

“This is not good! I think you better let me keep your bank book for now!”

「keep你嘅死人頭呀！佢就冇呃我！你就呃我啦！」

“Keep my foot! He didn't cheat me! But you certainly did!”

「你自細到大呀，使我幾多錢！」

“How much money have I spent on you growing up?!”

「買幾多嘢，供書教學，樣樣都係錢呀！」

“So many things I've bought, paying for your school fees and all, everything needed money!”

「你唔好生我啦…」 “You could have just not birthed me…”

《人間蒸發》 (2005) 第十一集

* n.b.: no racial discrimination intended here, the Dad character would have been worried for his mother, even if the man didn't happen to be a Caucasian man. He was simply worried because scamming of the elderly (or anyone for that matter) out of their savings is a thing (that unfortunately is quite prevalent around the world).

[pentagonieslut]

down on me m.list

part one:

part two:

part three:

part four:

[will add when ready.]

[jinkoh]

pentagon x gn!reader

summary: you unexpectedly fall into a strange world and quickly find yourself entangled with its peculiar people—as well as their problems.

tags: alice in wonderland au, multiple routes for several members, a little madness; warnings: non-graphic descriptions of violence, mentions of blood and weapons, cruel characters (but also very sweet and fun ones—this au is less dark than it sounds...probably)

wordcount: ~13,8k

a/n: okay so this kinda became a really really huge project that i've been working on for a while and that i am very attached to so ofc i'd be really excited if you gave it a try hehe i didn't stick very close to the original material so don't be too surprised. in case you want to know who is who from the get go you can check out the character introduction, but they also all get introduced bit by bit~ do heed the warnings before reading!

series masterlist // character introduction // ptg masterlist

The weather had been weird for days now, heavy clouds hanging in the purplish sky and a constant drizzle making puddles form in the streets. The Uncle from the car shop on the first floor said it was an omen; that something bad was approaching. Your landlady called him crazy and said it just needed a proper thunderstorm and the sunny weather would be back. But she didn’t like him much to begin with and if he wasn’t such a good tenant, for whatever that meant, she would have thrown him out long ago. You didn’t really care much for her idle talk. You were somewhat fond of the Uncle, even more so since your cat Humpty Dumpty seemed to have taken a liking to him too, visiting him in his shop, whenever he managed to sneak out of your third floor apartment.

So, when the Uncle told you to be careful in this weird weather and to keep an extra watchful eye on Humpty for the time being, you’d meant to heed his advice. 

You must have had a moment of inattention though, because when you came home after getting groceries you found your small flat to be empty. You’d forgotten to close the bathroom window and he must’ve snuck out from there. With a sigh you set the groceries down in the kitchen area before stepping out again, hoping that maybe he was just in the car shop downstairs. 

You were lucky, finding the brown animal curled up on the roof of a beige vintage car, while the Uncle himself was working beneath the car, only his legs poking out.

“Here to pick up your cat?” He asked, without coming out.

“He slipped out again,” you replied while picking Humpty up from his spot that must have been incredibly comfortable if his unsatisfied meowing was anything to go by. “Thanks for keeping an eye on him.”

The man laughed. “Felt more like he was keeping an eye on me, honestly.”

You nodded even though he couldn’t see you, watching a little longer. 

“That’s a nice car,” you commented, more to make polite conversation than anything else. You didn’t actually know anything about cars, but you did think it was a pretty one with the little hood ornament resembling the shape of an M.

“Yeah, it’s a nice one. A Ford Mercury Monarch, though I doubt you’ve suddenly taken a big interest in cars, have you?”

“Not really.” You chuckled, feeling caught. Of course he’d know that you were just being polite. “Still, it’s kinda pretty.”

“Mhm,” he hummed. 

Humpty started to fidget in your arms and you knew it was time to head upstairs if you didn’t want him to scratch you.

“I better go back.”

“Mhm,” he hummed again and you were about to leave, when he pushed himself out from under the car and eyed you seriously.

“Remember to be careful, y/n,” he reminded you once more. “I think there’ll be a storm tonight.”

Somehow the way he said it felt insinuating and sent a weird shiver down your spine. 

You swallowed around the lump in your throat.

“I’ll remember it.”

With a weary feeling in your stomach you left his shop, slipping back out into the rain. The building you lived in was an old factory that had been turned into several loft apartments and the commercial property downstairs. A bunch of the complexes in your neighborhood were like that which gave the area a certain charme when the sun was shining onto the red brickstones and reflecting from the big, old windows. When it rained like now though, the sky above dark and grey, the tall buildings almost looked intimidating.

Just when you wanted to turn towards the entrance door next to the shop to head upstairs, you saw a white shadow rushing through your peripheral vision. Your head instinctively snapped around, and you clearly hadn’t been the only one to notice. Humpty all but leaped out of your arms, chasing the white shadow down the street which seemed to be—a rabbit?

For a moment you were frozen in place, watching your beloved fur ball disappear down the street. But then you snapped out of it, running after him as fast as you could.

Sadly, it wasn’t fast enough to catch up to him and to make things worse the Uncle had been right about the storm. The rain was picking up and you heard thunder rumbling in the distance.

Eventually you found yourself in a side street, no trace of either the cat nor the rabbit. Humpty had never been one to come back when called, but you tried anyway, shouting out his name, the brick-lined house walls echoing it back to you.

You knew Humpty would be able to find his way back home, but you didn’t like the idea of him outside in this weather by himself. So, you kept going, even when the rain got so strong you could barely see what was in front of you.

Feeling somewhat resigned, you turned into another side street, just to be met with the rabbit sitting right in the middle of the road, his bright white fur standing out against the gray surroundings. Humpty on the other hand was nowhere to be seen. But something inside of you told you that if you caught the rabbit, you would surely find him too.

The white animal watched you with calm eyes as you approached, and you almost thought you’d be able to grab it, when it bolted, disappearing behind a corner. You rushed after it, turning into the dead end just to find it deserted and almost completely flooded. The giant puddle seemed to reflect the sky above impossibly sharp, despite the raindrops rippling the surface. In the reflection it didn’t even look all that dark and cloudy, but before you could wonder about it more or bemoan the water drenching your shoes, you suddenly felt yourself stepping into a void, the floor beneath your feet simply disappearing. In a weird epiphany you realized it must have been a missing duct cover, but it wasn’t like that would help you now. You were already falling, dark water swallowing you whole.

When you came to, the first thing you realized was that you were cold and wet. You blinked your eyes open and pushed your damp hair out of your face. It didn’t make sense, you were sure you’d fallen down into the sewer, but you found yourself in the same dead end again, sitting in the middle of the giant puddle, completely drenched. At least the rain had let off and the sky was dyed in shades of pink and purple. 

You felt for the opening in the ground that you’d fallen into with your hand, but the duct cover was right there. Confused, you tried to squeeze some water out of your clothes which was only so effective considering that you were still sitting in the puddle. 

Just then, your eyes fell onto the white rabbit at the street corner he’d come from, looking at you almost thoughtfully. But then, as if he snapped himself out of a trance, his eyes widened. 

“Oh no, oh no,” he mumbled, or you would have thought he did if it wasn’t impossible for a rabbit to speak. “Go back, quickly!”

“What?” you asked anyway, but the rabbit just turned and bolted off again.

“Time is running out.”

For a brief second you stared at the spot where he’d still sat a moment ago, but then you quickly stumbled to your feet and ran after him. You turned the corner just in time to see a man, not a rabbit, scurrying down the street. He had snow white hair, just like the bright fur of the rabbit, and it felt a bit too odd to be a coincidence. Especially with the pair of rabbit ears sitting right there on his head.

“Oh no, oh no,” you heard him again from the distance and even though none of this made any sense, you kept going after him.

Despite running until your lungs burned, you couldn't catch up to him. Maybe that was your sign to call it a day, you thought. Surely, Humpty had already made his way back home to your apartment by himself to escape the bad weather.

When you looked around though, you noticed that something about your neighborhood felt off. On first glance it was the same, but on second glance everything was different. All kinds of weird plants were overgrowing the pavement and crawling up the brick walls. There were no lights on behind the windows, no matter where you looked, nor was there any other trace of people. 

Overcome with an eerie feeling you slowly made your way down the street in the direction of your home. The light of the street lamps looked colder than usual and they flickered in irregular intervals. 

“I think you’re going the wrong way,” a voice behind you suddenly said matter of factly.

Startled, you turned around, looking right into the face of a young man with bright blue hair. He smiled and it was undeniably pretty, but it didn’t look entirely genuine.

“What do you mean?”

Instead of a reply he just shrugged and then seemed to disappear into thin air. You looked around, trying to understand where he’d gone, but he was nowhere to be found.

“What do you mean?” you repeated, your voice a little shaky.

“That the direction you’re going in is wrong.” He suddenly replied from right next to you.

“But I’m going home.”

“If you say so.” He giggled and it almost sounded childlike.

You felt yourself growing a little annoyed. “Then where am I supposed to go if not this way?”

“I won’t tell you.” With that he disappeared into thin air once more and you didn’t have it in you to feel surprised about it again.

“Fine,” you snapped in no direction in particular. “Then don’t tell me.”

You continued your way, but from time to time you still heard his giggles and little comments.

“So wrong,” he would say with a chuckle, his voice coming from one direction first and then another next.

“If you’re not going to tell me, then at least leave me alone!”

“But it’s funny,” he argued, suddenly appearing right in front of you, a wide smile plastered on his face. “It’s funny to see you run right into their fangs.”

“Whose fangs?” 

“The Queen’s servants,” he whispered right into your left ear, before reappearing on your other side. “The heartlings.”

You frowned in confusion, all of this giving you a headache. None of it made any sense. You just wanted to go home, curl up in your bed and cuddle your cat. But you couldn’t help the weary feeling in your guts, telling you that there was at least some truth to the weird guy’s words.

“So, where would you go?”

“Oh, I can go anywhere,” he replied with a giggle. “They can’t catch me if they can’t see me, right?”

“And if you couldn’t turn invisible?”

“Hm,” he seemed to think for a moment. “Maybe I’d get myself a snack from the gas station?”

You looked at his vanishing form in utter disbelief. “A snack?”

“Or a coke, maybe.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Well, I’m not saying you should do that. But you asked me what I would do. And I gave you an answer.”

You felt so unbearably frustrated with whoever this guy was, and yet you still turned around and headed into the direction of the gas station. Maybe you’d get some answers there and if you didn’t you could at least buy a snack and a coke before going home.

When you reached the gas station it too wasn’t quite looking the way you remembered it to. Instead of the brand logo you were so familiar with, the pink neon sign showed an abstract symbol next to letters that you couldn’t read. Just like the rest of the neighborhood it seemed to be completely deserted, but at least the lights in the shop were on.

“Are you sure I can go in?” You asked, convinced the blue haired guy was still around.

“If the door isn’t locked you can,” he replied, his voice coming from further away than you’d expected.

You turned around to spot him sitting in the branches of a tree near the edge of the parking lot.

“Are you not coming along?”

“I doubt my presence would be appreciated.”

You frowned in confusion. “Why?”

“Because I don’t like to pick sides. Besides,” he hopped off the branches but disappeared before his feet hit the ground, just to stand in front of you a second later. “Cats aren’t welcome.”

He pointed towards a sticker on the glass door, a pictogram of a cat crossed out with a thick red line.

“But you’re not a cat,” you argued, following the gesture with your eyes before your gaze settled on him again.

“Am I not?” He tilted his head and a pair of grayish blue cat ears was sitting right there, poking out of his hair. 

You stared at him flabbergasted. You knew for sure they hadn’t been there before. You would have noticed such a detail, wouldn’t you? 

“Wha—how?”

“Because I’m a cat,” he replied as if it was common knowledge. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.” 

With that, he vanished into thin air once more, the last thing you saw of him the bright white of his toothy smile.

“Wait! Am I supposed to go alone?”

“Weren’t you alone from the start?” sounded his reply, but he didn’t turn visible again.

“But what if I need help?”

“I’m sure you will.”

“So how will I know how to find you?”

He giggled. “Find me? You won’t. But should I ever be in the mood to help, I will certainly know how to find you.”

“Wait!” you tried to stop him once more, but it stayed quiet and you were sure he was gone for good this time.

You sighed, focusing your attention on the shop in front of you instead. Even on closer inspection you couldn’t spot anyone, but the staff door behind the cash desk was cracked open, so you assumed that someone was in the back.

With a deep breath you opened the glass door and stepped inside. It felt cramped with how closely the aisles stood together, maybe a little more so than usual. You looked around, hoping that the cashier would come out if you just waited a bit. You picked up a coke and a chocolate bar from the shelves, not because you were in the mood for either, but because the cat guy had mentioned it.

By the time you stepped to the counter and sat down the products on top there was still no sign of anyone coming out anytime soon, nor was there a bell to ring.

“Hello?” You timidly shouted in the direction of the door. “Hellooo?”

“Hello?” It suddenly echoed back from beyond. “Hellooo?”

You rolled your eyes at the staff’s humor. “I’d like to pay.”

“They’d like to pay,” it sounded back, but this time it didn’t seem to be addressed to you.

Before you could say anything else, the door opened and a guy with tousled red hair stepped out. For a moment he just eyed you thoughtfully but then he broke into a goofy smile that made a dimple form on his cheek.

“Welcome.”

“Uh, hi,” you replied awkwardly. “Do you work here?”

He wasn’t quite what you’d expected. Instead of the off-white t-shirts the staff here usually wore, he wore a sheer turtleneck in bright orange and a colorful silk shirt on top that he kept open. He absolutely didn’t look as if he was working here. Nevertheless, you couldn’t help but think that in some peculiar way, you found him attractive.

“Work here?” he repeated, sounding almost a little confused. “No, I don’t work.”

“Uh, then, is someone here who does?”

“Is anyone here who does?” he shouted towards the staff door, passing your question on.

“No, no one,” came the reply shortly after.

“The hare says no one is here.”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard.” You pinched the bridge of your nose slowly losing patience with whatever was going on today. “So, how do I pay?”

“Oh, with money.”

“With—forget it.” 

“All forgotten.” He nodded with a bright smile. “Anything else I can help you with?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I was just looking for my cat and then got into this whole,” you gestured vaguely at your surroundings, “mess.”

“A cat?” His face crinkled with disgust. “Not a blue one, is it? That scoundrel is not allowed in here.”

“Blue? No, Humpty Dumpty is brown.”

“Humpty Dumpty is an egg.”

“What?”

“What?”

You shook your head in exasperation. “Anyway, so I was looking for my cat and then there was this rab—man?” It sounded more like a question. 

“You’re looking for a man?”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Hm,” he looked around the store as if he could find him between the aisles if he just searched hard enough. Then he turned to the door once more.

“Changgu, do we have a man?”

“A man? No, no, we don’t have that.”

“I’m afraid we don’t have any in store,” he said apologetically.

“I’m not—I don’t want to buy one. I’m—he was running away. He had white hair and—rabbit ears? And he seemed to be in a hurry. Have you seen him?”

“Ah, you met Hui. Terrible workaholic, really.”

“Do you know where to find him? I think he knows where my cat is….maybe?”

At the word cat his face scrunched up once more, but he didn’t comment on it this time. 

“I might know.”

“So, will you show me?”

“Now? I can’t. It’s tea time. In fact, maybe you should come in and have tea with us.”

You frowned in confusion. “But you don’t even know me?”

“Right,” he nodded. “Who are you?”

“Y/n.”

“Y/n. That is certainly a name,” he nodded once more. “I’m Shinwon. The Hatter.”

“A hatter?” You weren’t aware that it was a job that still existed. You’d assumed that the fast fashion industry had more or less let that handicraft die out. Furthermore, “You’re not even wearing a hat.”

“Not a hatter. The Hatter. And my hat—” for a moment he stared into the distance, a deep sadness in his eyes but then he snapped out of it, smiling like nothing happened. “That’s a story for another day.”

The sudden change in mood had piqued your interest, but you decided to respect his privacy and not pry into it further.

“And what is the Hatter doing in a gas station?”

“A gas station? I’ve never been to one.” He didn’t give you the time to question his words, already turning towards the door. “Now, let’s have some tea.”

Maybe it wasn’t the smartest idea to follow this guy to the back. He didn’t seem to be right in the head, though to be fair, you weren’t sure about your own sanity either. After all, you’d chased down a talking rabbit and then shared a walk with a man who seemed to be able to vanish into thin air. Perhaps, a mad hatter in a gas station was on the normal side of things in comparison.

The backroom didn’t look the way you’d expected, though at this point you weren’t sure what you were expecting anymore. The space was completely cluttered with chests and boxes, and all kinds of fabrics and curtains were draped throughout the room. In the middle of it all was a long table which was decked out with way too much dinnerware. In fact, the tea cups were stacked up so high, you almost didn’t notice the guy sitting in one of the mismatched chairs near the end of the table. 

“I brought a guest,” Shinwon declared, pointing at you.

“A guest!” The guy jumped up from his chair with a dazzling smile. 

Only now did you see the floppy ears that sat on his head, reaching down all the way to his shoulders. They were a light brown, the same shade as his wavy hair, and they looked so soft and fuzzy you kinda wanted to try petting them. 

“Hi,” you awkwardly greeted, raising your hand in a small wave. “I’m y/n.”

“That is certainly a name,” the man replied with a nod and Shinwon next to you clapped excitedly.

“Right? That’s what I said.”

You didn’t know what to make of the comment so you decided to just ignore it. “And you are Changgu I assume?”

 “Ah, where are my manners?” He rushed over, accidentally knocking some cups off the table that shattered on the floor.

“Yes, Hare, where are your manners?” Shinwon echoed.

“I’m Changgu. The March Hare,” he introduced himself, reaching out his hand to you, that barely poked out from underneath the sleeves of his plaid coat.

“The March Hare?”

He nodded, before leaning in closer as if he was about to share a secret. 

“It’s because I’m as mad as one,” he whispered. “I don’t have both ears in the water.”

As if to prove his point he raised one of his ears and let it flop down again.

“It’s oars, Hare. You don’t have both oars in the water,” Shinwon corrected, before ushering you further into the room. “Now, let’s have some tea?”

He pulled back one of the chairs for you while he took the seat at the head of the table. You sat down and stared at the mess before you, unsure how to behave. It didn’t exactly look as if it was set for a tea party (or set at all, for that matter). You felt out of place and it didn’t help that your clothes were still wet. It had almost slipped your mind, but now that you were sitting you felt the damp fabric sticking to your skin again, leaving you with an itchy feeling.

“Tea?” Changgu, who’d taken the seat across from you interrupted your thoughts. He pushed a cup he’d poured in your direction. The other porcelain on the table got shoved out of the way on his quest but he didn’t seem to mind, not even when one of the higher stacks started to sway dangerously.

Unable to watch what was clearly going to end in disaster, you quickly took the cup with a “Thank you” and promptly received a bright smile in return.

Before you could take a sip of the steaming liquid though, Shinwon held out a plate with muffins to you, each one decorated with a small candle.

“Dessert? We also have cake,” he pointed at a ring cake somewhere in the mess. “And biscuits.”

“Then, a biscuit, perhaps?” You agreed reluctantly.

“A biscuit, Hare, quick, a biscuit for the biscuit!”

Changgu nodded eagerly, holding out another plate to you, and you took one of the cookies from it.

But you didn’t get to try that either, because all of a sudden the door was pushed open with so much force, it made you flinch and drop the cookie into your tea cup.

“Ah, not in the middle of tea time,” Shinwon complained, clearly annoyed but not surprised. “What does the Queen want now, Paul?”

For a moment you weren’t sure who he was talking to, but then you spotted the frog that was standing upright in the doorway, dressed in an outfit that resembled a Victorian newspaper boy.

“An invitation,” he croaked, taking a big leap right onto the table, porcelain clinking at the sudden impact. He fished out a piece of paper and handed it to Changgu who took it from his green fingers.

“We got it. Now, shoo, we’re having tea.” Shinwon gestured for the frog to leave with a wave of his hand. “Unless you fancy to join us for a cup?”

“Not particularly,” the frog replied, hopping off the table and disappearing to where he’d come from. 

Changgu passed the paper onto Shinwon who took it with the tips of his fingers as if it was something disgusting. 

“What is it?” You’d managed to catch a glimpse of the writing and once again had to realize that whatever alphabet it was, you couldn’t read it.

“A party invitation,” Shinwon replied, almost spitting out the words.

"Do you not like parties?"

At your question he broke into a laughter so intense as if it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard.

“Do I not like parties?” He turned to his friend in amusement "Did you hear that, Changgu?"

“Do you not like parties?” Changgu repeated, shaking from laughter himself, his ears flopping up and down at the movement. 

You felt awkward and maybe a little upset that you once again weren't in on whatever the joke was.

“Well, do you?” You interrupted their laughter, light annoyance in your voice.

Shinwon's eyes were gleaming when he replied. “I love parties, Biscuit. I love them so much I celebrate all my unbirthdays every year.”

Changgu nodded hastily to support his point. “Every single one!”

“We’re celebrating one right this second.”

You didn't bother asking what an unbirthday was. “Then what’s so bad about this?”

Immediately, Shinwon's face turned dark again. “It's the Queen's party.”

“Then don't go.”

“Don't go, you say,” he repeated with another giggle. “No, we have to go. It's the Queen's party."

After a brief glance at a clearly broken cuckoo clock on the wall he sprung up with so much vigor, his poor chair fell over backwards and clattered to the floor. “In fact, we should go right now!” 

Then his eyes got stuck on you. 

“You're wet,” he commented as if he only just now noticed the sorry state of your clothes.

“I fell into a puddle.”

“Why would you do that?”

You frowned. “It’s not like it was on purpose.”

The side eye he exchanged with Changgu told you that he still considered it to be weird, but he let it rest. 

“Either way you can't wear that to the party. The Queen hates bad fashion.”

“Oh, I won't go to the party, I wasn’t invited.”

Another rush of laughter overcame the two of them. 

“It's the Queen's party,” Shinwon repeated yet another time. “Everyone is invited. Hare, don't we have some clothes for the child?”

“I'm not a child,” you argued but neither of them minded you.

“Maybe we have some in the dairy section.”

“Mhm-mhm,” Shinwon nodded thoughtfully and then disappeared into the shop only to show up a minute later with an odd looking suit that he handed to you. The fabric felt cold, as if it'd just come out of the refrigerator and the combination of colors and patterns seemed a little random. But it was still better than the damp clothes that were sticking to your skin uncomfortably, so you took the suit and changed into it while Shinwon and Changgu waited outside.

When you came out again, the two of them seemed to have cleaned up for the occasion as well: Shinwon had buttoned up his shirt and tamed his red hair while Changgu had added a black tie with red dots to his outfit. He hadn’t bothered to tuck it under the collar of his shirt though so it made him look more disheveled than before, but you didn’t point that out. 

Shinwon eyed you intently, his brows furrowed as he took in every inch of you. Then he broke into a happy smile. “Oh, it suits you! Isn’t that right, Hare?”

“Exquisitely so!”

You weren’t sure about their assessment but their compliments still made you feel a little better in your skin.

The three of you stepped outside and you would have thought the sky would be pitch black by now, but it still had the same purplish pink colors as before. 

“So, where is this party?” You asked as you walked down the street.

“The Red Castle,” Changgu supplied an answer that made you none the smarter.

“Of course,” you mumbled. “Where else would it be?”

Even though Shinwon had been less than ecstatic to go to the Queen’s party, he didn’t dwell on the bad mood. Him and Changgu giggled and goofed around on the way, most of their jokes going past you. 

“I’d much rather go home,” you let out a small sigh, barely even noticing that you’d said it out loud.

Shinwon interrupted his laughter to turn to you. “Oh, that’s just the right mindset for attending this party. I too would much rather go home. But,” he playfully nudged your shoulder with his own, “when we all want to go home, it’s almost the same as actually going home.”

You didn’t a hundred percent get the point he was trying to make there, but his words felt comforting nevertheless. Perhaps it wasn’t his words per se, but the consoling smile on his lips and the genuine expression in his eyes.

You shook your head in amusement. “Let’s go home then.”

“Let’s go home!” he repeated with a wide grin, raising his fist into the air and making you giggle.

As you kept walking, you slowly realized though, that maybe that was quite literally where you were headed. You were only a block away from your house now, and the closer you came, the more lively it got on the streets that had still been empty a few hours ago. Approaching your home should have filled you with a sense of relief, but instead it just made you feel queasy. 

Your bad feeling about it all proved to be there for a reason. When you turned into your street, you could barely recognize what used to be so known to you. The streetlights were decorated with a weird assortment of red flowers and warning tape, and the whole area was jammed with people (though you weren’t sure if people was the right word for the diverse assembly of beings, some more human than others but none that were human through and through) and at the center of it all seemed to be the tall factory building with its brick walls and the car shop on the first floor. It looked vastly different, the entire front of the building covered by a huge mural painting depicting roses that crawled up the walls, their stems carrying sharp thorns. Still, there was no mistaking it:

“That’s—that’s my house.”

“Oh, how fortunate,” Shinwon exclaimed gleefully. “You wanted to go home!”

“No, but—,” you interrupted yourself, not even sure what to say. Maybe it’d been a little delusional to believe your home would still be your home if nothing else seemed to have remained the same.

“You didn’t want to go home after all?” Shinwon nodded understandingly. “Then this is indeed unfortunate.”

“Very unfortunate,” Changgu agreed.

“I’m just so confused. Why is nothing the same as before?”

“Maybe that’s a question for a caterpillar,” Changgu replied seriously. “They are experts on things that do not stay the same.”

Before you could inquire how you were supposed to discuss this with a caterpillar of all things, you spotted a familiar pair of snow white ears in the middle of the crowd that disappeared as suddenly as they’d shown up. 

Without thinking you chased after the white rabbit. You weren’t sure why you were still so keen on catching him. It didn’t seem very likely anymore that he knew where Humpty was. But he was the only one who had already been there when the world was still normal, so maybe he’d also know how to turn it back.

“Why are we running?” Shinwon asked behind you, sounding out of breath. You hadn’t noticed he’d come along.

“The rabbit!” You explained. “I saw the rabbit.”

“Why are we running?” Changgu shouted from behind Shinwon, following as you rushed through the crowd.

“The rabbit, they saw the rabbit,” Shinwon explained in your stead.

You almost expected to lose the rabbit in question again, but then he was suddenly standing right there, throwing a worried glance onto his wrist watch. You abruptly stopped in order not to run him over, causing Shinwon to bump into you. In your relief to have finally caught on, you didn’t pay it any mind though.

“Thank God,” you pressed out, catching your breath. 

The man with the white rabbit ears turned to you, seemingly only noticing you now.

“Oh. Oh, no,” he looked a little distressed at your presence before his eyes wandered to your company in surprise. “And the Hatter?”

“And the Hare,” Shinwon added, pointing at Changgu who’d come to a stop behind him.

“So, what do you want?” The man asked, his eyes darting to his watch once more. “I’m in a hurry.”

Shinwon chuckled. “It’s good to take a break from time to time, Hui.”

“Of course, you would say that.”

“My cat,” you interrupted before their discussion could drag on. “Did you see my cat?”

“A cat?” He sighed. “I don’t have time for Yanan’s shenanigans."

“No, no,” Shinwon chimed in. “This cat is brown.”

“I don’t have time for a brown cat either,” Hui shook his head. “In fact, I don’t even have time for this party.”

With that he took off, quickly disappearing into the crowd again.

“Wait,” you shouted after him. You still hadn’t asked him about whatever was going on with the world around you, and he was probably the only person who could know something (and also the most sane one you’d met so far, despite his constant haste and his rather cold demeanor).

“Don’t take it to heart,” Changgu reassured. “In fact, he already lingered longer than usual. Sometimes we don’t hear from him for months. And he doesn’t even spare the time to celebrate his unbirthdays.”

You sighed in resignation. “Still, I had so many questions.”

“Even if he knows the answers, I doubt he has the time to give them,” Shinwon replied comfortingly, though it didn’t feel very comforting at all. “Caterpillars on the other hand have a lot of time.”

You didn’t get why Shinwon too was bringing up caterpillars now, but the two of them had been talking nonsense from the moment you’d met them so it was a little late to start overthinking it now.

Suddenly, the sound of a fanfare cut through the noise of the crowd.

“Oh, it’s beginning,” Shinwon exclaimed, grabbing your hand and pulling you further towards the front, until you were standing in the second or third row with a direct view on what used to be your home and was now something else entirely. "From here you can take a good look so you know whom to avoid."

"The Queen?" you asked for clarification.

"That too. But the Heartlings and Knave as well."

You remembered the former from when the blue cat had mentioned it before, but the knave was new. You didn't get to ask though, because the fanfare sounded again.

A frog, just like the one that had brought the invitation, was standing on a stack of tires in front of the garage door, a scroll in his hands that he unrolled solemnly. He cleared his throat twice before finally addressing the crowd.

“Your Majesty, the Queen of Hearts,” he announced, his voice way louder than you would have expected from a frog of his size.

The crowd cheered more or less enthusiastically and he hopped from the stack of tires. A pack of ferrets came to the scene, quickly pushing the tires to the side. The last one had barely scurried away, when the roller shutter of the garage started to open, slowly disclosing the shop beyond. For a while, all you got to see was the car that was parked right in the center. You recognized the vintage car immediately with its beige finish and the M shaped hood ornament. As the shutter had almost rolled all the way up, it finally revealed a person sitting on top of the car, in just the same spot that Humpty had taken a nap in earlier today. (At least you thought it was still today—with the sky not changing color at all, you were a little confused about the passage of time.)

To your surprise though, it wasn’t a Queen at all. Instead it was a guy with choppy blonde hair wearing a velvet tracksuit. His gaze was fierce and there was something captivating albeit intimidating about his aura. Still—

“Where’s the Queen?”

Instantly, the whole crowd fell silent.

The man in the velvet suit cocked his head, his eyes narrowing in on the guests. “Who asked that?”

Everyone around you took a step away, trying to gain some distance from you. Solely Shinwon and Changgu stuck to your side, but even they seemed a little uneasy. From your peripheral vision you spotted a man with wavy hair next to the garage door straightening out his posture. You hadn’t noticed him before, but he must have been there all along. He pushed back the fabric of his jacket a bit to reveal the grip of a gun that was tucked into the waistband of his pants. You didn’t understand what was happening, but you were smart enough to realize it wasn’t anything good. Your stomach was filled with dread and you instinctively reached out to Shinwon, your fingers clasping onto the hem of his shirt.

“Uh, oh, Biscuit,” he whispered close to your ear. “You’ve really done it now.”

“I said,” the man in the velvet suit started again, this time with more emphasis, as he leaped off the car roof in one smooth movement. “Who. Asked. That?” 

The crowd seemed to budge even further away from you, leaving you easily exposed to the man who approached with striding steps.

“You?” His gaze landed on you, making you feel small and helpless. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

He took another step closer, close enough for you to spot the beauty marks on his face, close enough to notice the glow of his skin. “Tell me your name, dear.”

“Y/n,” you pressed out, your voice barely hearable.

“Y/n,” he repeated with a hum, almost as if he was tasting the sound of it on his tongue. “So, y/n, what were you thinking? What made you believe that I’m not worthy of being the Queen?”

The thoughts started circling in your mind. It was clearly a trick question; no matter what reply you presented him with, it would be wrong.

Thankfully though, you didn’t have to give one at all. Before you could even think of saying anything, you felt Shinwon leaning in close to your ear again. 

“I’ve got this,” he whispered, stepping in front of you with confidence.

Anxiously, you glanced over to Changgu, who gently took your hand in his, mouthing a reassuring Don’t worry. 

“Your Distinctiveness,” Shinwon greeted overly friendly, taking an exaggerated bow.

“Hatter,” the Queen replied, his face contorted in disgust.

“You see, my dear friend is new here,” he explained. “And to make matters worse, they have terrible vision, don’t you, Biscuit?”

You felt frozen, even more so now that the Queen's attention was back on you. It wasn’t until Changgu squeezed your hand, that you hurriedly nodded.

“Very terrible vision,” Shinwon repeated, his voice sounding pitying this time. “Can’t even tell right from wrong.”

“Is that so?” 

The Queen didn’t seem convinced as he gave you another once over. You instinctively held your breath, as if that could protect you from his piercing gaze.

“Consider this a warning,” he eventually said, finally taking his eyes off you.

“And you, Hatter,” he turned to Shinwon, “educate your guests right. Wouldn’t want to lose any, hm?”

“Of course, your Noteworthiness; by no means, your Exquisiteness,” Shinwon nodded meaningfully.

“Good!” The Queen’s mood suddenly shifted. He clapped his hands and a grin spread on his lips. “Now, let’s celebrate, shall we?”

He strode back to the car, using stacked up tires to take a seat on the roof again like a Queen on her throne.

You let out the breath you’d been holding, relieved that you’d evaded whatever storm would have awaited you if Shinwon hadn’t been there. You gently tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. 

“Thank you. You really saved me there.”

“Oh, yes, Biscuit, that would not have ended well,” he replied with a giggle before his expression grew more serious. “But I have your back.”

You weren’t sure why he’d helped you, after all he barely knew you at all. But you didn't dwell on it for too long. Of everyone you’d met today, if you had to choose just one person to trust, it would surely be him. In all his madness and with all his nonsense, you decided to trust him. 

The party proceeded, though it hardly resembled your understanding of the term. There was music, sure, but the mood felt strained. The Queen however didn’t seem to notice or perhaps he simply didn’t care.

“It’s a party,” he drawled. “So, entertain me.”

“Of course, your Highness,” the frog from before hurried to assure. “The dancers, get the dancers!”

A group of dancers stepped forward, wiry figures with white wings on their backs just like those of a swan. Music started to play and they moved to the melody. It was a beautiful choreography but you couldn’t help but notice the way their arms seemed to tremble with nerves. And you weren’t the only one.

“What a pity for them,” Shinwon whispered next to you. 

“A tragedy, even,” Changgu agreed.

“He won’t like that.”

“He’ll despise it.”

You looked between the two of them, before your gaze wandered back to the Queen. He looked onto the spectacle with contempt.

“Boring. Show something else.”

Immediately the music got interrupted and a different song played, the dancers changing position and starting anew. The Queen watched for a moment, his lips pursed thoughtfully.

“If only I could make this more fun,” he complained with a big sigh but then his eyes widened as if he’d had a brilliant idea. “Ah! I know! Jack! Get me some firecrackers!”

The frog nodded, relaying the task onto the ferrets who disappeared and showed up seconds later with a red box. The Queen clapped joyfully before he took the box and fished a lighter out of his pocket. 

“What is he doing?” You asked Shinwon, your voice barely a whisper.

“Playing a game, it seems. He loves games.”

An uneasy feeling took root in your stomach. “What kind of game?”

“Dodge.”

The game was exactly what it sounded like. While the performance continued, the Queen lit up the firecrackers and threw them at the dancers’ feet, watching in delight as they tried to evade the small explosions.

You felt sick to your stomach and for the first time since you’d fallen into the sewer you truly wished to wake up from what clearly had to be a nightmare. With shaky fingers, you pinched the skin of your inner arm, hard enough to make tears spring to your eyes. But nothing happened. You didn’t wake up and this wasn’t a dream. The dancers were still hopping from one foot to the other, the Queen’s manic laughter drowning out the music they were dancing to. And you just stood there, frozen in place, averting your gaze instead of stepping in.

“That’s insane. How can he be so cruel?”

“He’s the Queen of Hearts, what did you expect?” Shinwon scoffed. “Of course, it was different when—no, I shouldn’t say. Not here.”

The rest of the party continued in the same vein. The Queen had a very different idea of how to stay entertained, it seemed. His games hardly qualified as games at all. If anything they were torture, for those who had to watch and even more so for those who had to play. But he was sitting on his makeshift throne enjoying the show.

“Oh, what a delight!” The Queen eventually addressed the crowd. “I had feared for this party to become a disaster. After all, it was off to a miserable start, isn’t that true?”

Maybe it was just your imagination, but you felt as if his eyes were looking right at you, giving you a warning glare as if to say I remember you. Don’t mess up again.

Panic rushed through your body and you were shaking like a leaf as you tried to withstand his gaze. When he looked away at last, announcing it was time for the grand finale, you felt all strength leaving your body and your knees would have given in if Shinwon hadn’t immediately reached out to steady you. Even when you’d found your balance again, he stayed closely behind you, resting his hands on your shoulders.

“Are you okay, Biscuit?”

You didn’t even bother pretending and shook your head. 

“When is this over? When is it finally over?”

“Soon. We only have to make it through the fireworks now. You can hold out, right?”

You nodded weakly and watched with something akin to relief as the ferrets set up fireworks that for once seemed to really be just that—fireworks.

“No one’s going to get hurt, right?” you asked, to be sure.

Shinwon gave your shoulders a reassuring squeeze. “No one’s going to get hurt.”

And his words proved true. The ferrets lit the fuse and you watched with tired eyes as the flame crawled over the bloodstained floor until it reached the fireworks. They shot up with a bang and exploded into sparkling pink hearts filling the sky above you that had at last started to darken. It was a beautiful spectacle and for a brief moment you could almost trick yourself into thinking that it’d been a regular party after all. Almost. While everyone’s eyes were glued to the sparkling sky, your own fell to the Queen again. He was watching the fireworks too, in awe of its beauty, while the traces of his cruel games were scattered all around him. It seemed he was the only winner today.

After a moment he lowered his head to look at you. It was a slow, deliberate shift as if he’d been aware of your gaze all along. His eyes briefly flicked over his surroundings before they landed on you again, a small smile on his lips. Despite the distance you knew exactly what he was mouthing at you.

Beautiful, isn’t it?

When it was finally over you couldn’t even manage to be relieved. You’d seen too much and you despised yourself for watching all of it in silence.

“Why is everyone just accepting this?” You asked, once the crowd had dissipated and you’d gained some distance to the Red Castle.

“Because there’s nothing else we can do,” Shinwon explained matter-of-factly. “Not yet.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that it’s not time yet.”

“Not yet,” Changgu echoed. “But soon.”

It wasn’t a very satisfactory reply, but who were you to talk? You’d only been here for a day and it wasn’t as if you’d been brave enough to say anything either. No, you’d looked away much the same as everyone else.

You sighed and followed behind them, slowly realizing that you had no idea where you were headed. It definitely wasn’t the way back to the gas station unless the streets had suddenly swapped places which wouldn’t be the craziest thing to happen that day.

When you asked, Shinwon looked at you in confusion. “To the caterpillar, of course.”

“The caterpillar?”

“You want answers and he has a lot of them. And if you’re lucky a few of them might just match your questions.”

“Is it far?”

“Oh, very much,” Shinwon nodded but then he added, “we’re almost there.”

Eventually you turned into the street with the old theater and realized that that must be where you were headed. You’d always loved it there and had many fond memories of musicals and theater pieces you’d watched there. It was a charming building with a pretty front that you remembered to be adorned with big illuminated signs announcing the shows that were currently running. Now though, it looked sad and abandoned as it laid in complete darkness at the end of the street. 

“What happened here?”

“The Queen doesn’t fancy theaters, I’m afraid. He’d rather the only shows that happen are the ones he holds in the castle. Of course it was different when—” Shinwon interrupted himself once more, but then he seemed to remember that you weren’t at the party anymore and that no one was around to hear. Still, he whispered when he continued, just to be safe. “It was different when Hongseok was still king.”

“Very different,” Changgu agreed. “Hongseok loved the theater.”

“He also loved cookies,” Shinwon added.

“And fun rides.”

“And coffee.”

Changgu nodded excitedly. “He handed out free coffee on all 23rd unbirthdays.”

“He did. Every 23rd.”

“The 23rd unbirthdays are always the best,” Changgu explained.

You looked at him in confusion. “Why?”

Now Changgu was the one looking confused. “Because they are the 23rd, of course.”

“Right,” you nodded slowly even though his explanation didn’t actually explain anything. Still, even if it didn’t make much sense, what you did understand was how fondly they thought of Hongseok. You didn’t know if he’d been a capable king, but he must have been a beloved one.

“Why isn’t he ruling anymore?”

Shinwon laughed, as if it’d been a particularly stupid question. “Because now we have the Queen, dummy. There can’t be a king and a queen.”

You wanted to argue that in fact there usually was both, but you doubted that anything would come of it.

The three of you walked towards the entrance of the dark building when Shinwon suddenly stopped in his tracks and swiveled around to Changgu.

“Do you have cash on you?”

“No, no,” Changgu shook his head, turning his pockets inside out as if to prove his point. A single button fell out and clattered to the floor.

“Oh, no. I am afraid they don't take credit card.” Shinwon sighed with a wistful glance at the dark and empty ticket booth before turning to you. “You don’t happen to have any?”

Your gaze wandered between him and the abandoned theater. “What do you need cash for?”

“To buy a ticket, dummy,” he said with a giggle. “Hare, she doesn’t know you need a ticket to go to a theater.”

“You can’t just go in without a ticket,” Changgu nodded.

"No, I—agh, nevermind."

“You’re so funny, Biscuit.”

You didn’t consider yourself a particularly humorous person, but as long as it made them laugh you supposed it was fine. Still, you didn’t get why you would have to pay to go into an abandoned building where there clearly were no shows running. You checked your pockets anyway, but you had nothing except for an old bubble gum wrapper.

“Hm,” Shinwon looked thoughtful. “Well, I guess it will have to do.”

He took the wrapper from your hand, picked up the button from the street and fished a safety pin out of his own pocket. The random assortment of things was then shoved through the hatch of the ticket booth that was meant for paying. Meanwhile Changgu opened the entrance door to the right of the booth which was barely hanging in its hinges. 

“After you,” he said with a grin and an exaggerated bow.

“Very kind,” Shinwon replied with a nod and a tip of an invisible hat as he stepped past him into the dark lobby of the theater. You followed suit, giving Changgu a quick thanks.

Somehow the building made you feel weary. It was distressing how it looked as if it’d been abandoned from one second to another. There were coats hanging in the cloakroom and a half eaten bucket of popcorn was laying tipped over on the floor, popcorn scattered around it. The whole atmosphere gave you chills.

Shinwon and Changgu didn’t seem to have any such concerns though. The Hatter went straight for the snack counter, starting to rummage through the fridge that was clearly turned off.

“Coke anyone? Or a limo?” He asked, holding up glass bottles, that almost looked like the popular brands you knew, if it wasn’t for the unfamiliar writing.

He didn’t wait for a reply, already setting them onto the counter.

“Do you think we should bring something for Jinho too? You think he'd want a coke? Or something else?”

“Maybe something else.”

Shinwon nodded thoughtfully. “A water? But that's for boring people.”

“Maybe a water,” Changgu agreed anyway.

“Jinho? Are we—are we still talking about a worm here?”

Shinwon bursted into laughter. “A worm! Oh, he would hate that!”

“Wasn’t it a worm?”

He snorted before turning to Changgu. “A worm, Hare! A worm!” He repeated between chuckles, nudging his friend in the side who’d long joined his laughter.

“We shouldn’t ever tell him that.”

“We shouldn’t. He would hate it so much.”

“He would,” Changgu shook himself in delight. “Maybe we should tell him.”

“We should!”

“So, it wasn’t a worm?”

“A caterpillar, Biscuit. He is a caterpillar.”

Jinho was sitting on one of the balconies, watching the empty stage. His head was propped up on one of his hands as he leaned over the balustrade, sipping on a small pouch of red ginseng extract. The dim light in the auditorium gave his dark gray hair a blueish, almost iridescent shimmer that made you want to question if it was real. Still, he was most certainly not a caterpillar.

“A lovely theater, isn’t it?” He mumbled without looking up and you weren’t quite sure who he was talking to.

“Very lovely,” Shinwon was quick to agree but he didn’t sound serious.

“You should have seen it in its heydays,” Jinho continued, turning his head to look at you. “It was truly marvelous.”

He spoke slowly, as if his every word was well considered and it made you nervous. 

You swallowed around the lump in your throat before you replied. “I’m sure it was.”

“Mhm,” he hummed approvingly, then he turned back to the stage. “I’ve been expecting you. You’re late.”

“Oh!” Shinwon chimed in. “Really? I was thinking we should have left a little earlier.”

“Not you, Hatter,” Jinho drawled in response. “Alice.”

“Alice? Which Alice?” Shinwon looked confused. 

Jinho nodded in your direction. “That Alice.”

“I’m not Alice. My name is—”

“Y/n,” he interrupted you with an exasperated sigh. “I know. But you’re also Alice. One does not preclude the other, you foolish rat.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You couldn’t quite choose between feeling distraught by the fact that he knew your name or offended by his tone, so you settled for both.

“It means exactly what I said. You’re Alice.”

While you still didn’t get what he was trying to say, Shinwon and Changgu looked absolutely flabbergasted, their eyes flicking back and forth between you and Jinho.

“Our Biscuit… is Alice?”

“The Alice?”

“How many times do I need to say it?” Jinho shook his head. “Y/n is the new Alice. That’s how it’s written in the script.”

“It’s written in the script,” Shinwon repeated in disbelief.

Changgu nodded. “Y/n is Alice.”

“Would anyone please explain to me what’s going on? How can I be Alice if I’m me?”

“Because the script says you are.” Jinho squeezed out the last bits of ginseng extract, before shoving the empty package back into the box that was sitting on the seat next to him. “The script is never wrong.”

“What script?”

“The one,” Shinwon explained unhelpfully.

“The only,” Changgu added.

Jinho took out a new pouch of ginseng, his whole focus on the packaging as he slowly and carefully ripped it open. Your eyes automatically followed the movement. 

“I can show you. If you wish to see,” he offered without looking up.

“I—I don’t know. I don’t know what any of this means so I don’t know if I want to see it or not.” You instinctively turned to Shinwon for help, searching his eyes for advice. “Do I?”

He didn’t immediately reply and when he did his voice was unusually calm and collected. “I think you should.”

“Okay,” you nodded slowly before turning to Jinho again. “I want to see.”

He didn’t seem to be in a hurry, calmly emptying the rest of his ginseng extract before getting up from the velvet seat. 

“Let’s go to the prop room then.”

“Oh, the prop room!” Changgu looked excited, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I haven’t gone there since our last show. It’s been a while!”

Jinho led the way out of the auditorium to narrow stairs at the far back of the hallway. A chain with a handwritten sign was supposed to keep visitors out, but Jinho nonchalantly pulled it to the side.

“Careful,” he warned before going downstairs and not without reason. Fabrics, props and costumes were scattered all over the steps and the handrail, making it feel like an obstacle course. While you slowly followed Jinho, carefully not to trip on anything, Shinwon and Changgu seemed almost delighted, hopping down the steps as if it was a funny game. Though, after seeing the gas station’s backroom it wasn’t as surprising that they weren’t bothered by the mess, you supposed.

Once you’d reached the bottom of the stairs, Jinho pulled a small key out of his pocket and unlocked the wooden door to reveal a room, cramped with more odds and ends. 

Changgu went right in, purposefully taking a handkerchief from one of the zillion shelves. 

“Was wondering where I’d kept that,” he commented happily before stuffing it into his pocket.

Jinho pushed past him with a sigh. “We haven’t taken out the script in a while, and this is how you act? Some adequacy, if you please.”

“Don’t be such a killjoy, Worm.”

Jinho’s head snapped around to Shinwon, giving him a death glare. “Worm?”

Shinwon just shrugged lightheartedly. “Right, Caterpillar. My bad.”

“These kids,” Jinho shook his head before turning his attention back to you. “Let’s take a look, shall we?”

He took your hand and pulled you along to the far back of the room, where a wooden chest was covered with a bunch of colorful fabrics. Jinho shoved them aside to reveal the little metal lock that he opened with another key from his pocket, before pushing up the lid of the chest. It was empty except for a stitched booklet that looked like a regular manuscript for a musical or a theater piece. Jinho took it out and thumbed through the pages until he abruptly stopped, his finger pointing to one of the lines.

“We’re here.”

You stared at the scripture written in the same unfamiliar letters as everything else in this world.

“I can’t read that.”

“Ah, right.” 

Jinho closed the booklet briefly before opening it again, his fingers still marking the page. When you looked this time, you were surprised to find that it was written in letters you were able to read. Your eyes scanned the lines Jinho was pointing to, and you were overcome with a feeling of disbelief.

Caterpillar: We’re here. Alice: I can’t read that. Caterpillar: Ah, right.

Below that, the sentences seemed to be incomplete, only bits and pieces that were scattered on the paper.

“How is that possible?” you asked and right as you spoke the words started appearing in the script.

“It’s the script,” Jinho explained calmly. “That’s what it does. It documents and it predicts. It assigns roles and it decides the plot.”

“That’s right,” Shinwon nodded meaningfully but your eyes were still glued to the page, watching as everything they said formed on the paper.

“And as you can see, y/n, your role is Alice,” Jinho continued. “At least for now.”

“For now? What does that mean?”

“Well, you’re the replacement,” Changgu stared into the distance with a nostalgic shimmer in his eyes. “The old Alice is no more.”

“Did they…die?”

“Died? No, no, he is fine.” Shinwon pressed out between laughter so hard, he had to hold his stomach. “He would whine so much about this. I can practically hear his voice: ‘Don’t say something like that! Don’t jinx me!’ So funny.”

“Wooseok fulfilled his role,” Jinho explained calmly. “So now he is only Wooseok, in the same way you were only y/n before you became Alice.”

You sighed. “I don’t remember applying for the role, though.”

Jinho rolled his eyes. “Very funny.”

“So, what does it mean? Is me being Alice the reason that I’m stuck in this weird parallel universe?”

“What’s a parallel universe?” Changgu whispered, nudging Shinwon in the side.

“Surely the opposite of an unparallel iverse,” Shinwon whispered back.

“Ah.”

Jinho didn’t pay them any attention. “Not exactly. You’re stuck in this weird parallel universe—”

“That’s the opposite of an unparallel iverse,” Changgu interjected.

“—because you followed the rabbit through the Looking Glass. He was supposed to directly bring you here—but well, there’ve been some circumstances.”

“I didn’t follow anyone through a looking glass though.”

“Mhm, not purposely,” Jinho hummed. “You fell right in.”

“The sewer?”

Jinho scrunched his face in disgust. “Not the sewer. The reflection. The mirror image on the water surface.”

“So if I fell in—can I fall out again?”

“Oh, it doesn’t work like that, foolish Alice.”

“Foolish Biscuit,” Shinwon echoed, but his voice had a fond undertone to it.

“You have to fulfill your role first. Then you can go back.”

You nodded slowly. That at least meant there was a way back. “So, what do I have to do?”

“Right, that’s the tricky part, dear Alice. The script never reveals the full plot until it happens.”

“Are you saying I have to fulfill my part without even knowing what that is?!”

Jinho shook his head and skipped to a later page in the script. “We do know some things.”

The page was almost blank, only scraps of a conversation readable.

Queen of Hearts: Alice?!           You betrayed me Queen of Hearts:      What have you done to me?     hurt so much Queen of Hearts:   I'm dying

You stared at the words, an uncomfortable feeling spreading in your stomach. You had an inkling but you still asked anyway.

“What does this mean?”

“You will kill him,” Shinwon whispered. “You will end his reign.”

“No.” You shook your head. “I can’t—I can’t possibly kill anyone. Can’t someone else do it?”

Jinho shook his head. “It has to be you. He won’t die if it isn’t you.”

“But—how would I do it anyway?”

“I'm sure there are plenty of options. The King would know. Poison, maybe.”

Poison. You shuddered at the mere prospect of it; the body cramping up and lips turning purple—a gruesome thought.

“I can’t.”

“You’ve seen his cruelty. He doesn’t deserve any better,” Jinho said calmly. “And it will happen anyway. The plot may not be all written out yet, but that which is written will happen with certainty. Unless, of course, you die before that. Then a different Alice would have to take your place.”

“Unless I die?”

He shrugged. “If you’re careful that shouldn’t happen. So don’t worry about it too much, just follow along.”

Your head was spinning with all of this. Of course you wanted to go home, but could you really kill someone? But what if it was the only chance to go back? And if what Jinho said was true then was there even a use to think about what you wanted? It would happen, whether you resisted it or not. The only way out was dying, so there wasn’t even a decision for you to make, not really.

“Okay, fine,” you pressed out eventually. “I’ll fulfill my role. I’ll be Alice.”

A small smile tugged at the corners of Jinho’s lips. “I knew you would say that.”

“But how would I even get close enough to do it?” You asked Jinho while he locked the booklet in the chest again. “Does the script say anything about that too?”

“Not too much,” he admitted. “But I am convinced a chance will present itself. The Queen has his eyes on you.”

His words had you incredibly worried. You’d seen his cruel games and you’d felt his piercing gaze on you—just the prospect of having to be in his presence again terrified you. 

No, the Queen didn’t seem like the type of person you’d want to have the attention of. You would much rather be invisible than to be seen by him. Yanan surely wouldn’t be afraid of him; he could just turn invisible if things got dicey. You still remembered the cat’s cheeky smile before he’d disappeared on you. In fact, it was ingrained so clearly in your brain, you almost thought you saw it in the corner of the room. But when you blinked nothing was there.

You shook yourself out of it, focusing back on the problem at hand.

“But he doesn’t know, right? That I’m Alice?”

“No one knows,” Jinho reassured. “Only a selected few. The Rabbit. And the people in this room. Though,” he threw a quick glance at Changgu who was playing around with some props on a shelf, “who knows how long the Hare will remember. He tends to be a bit scatter-brained.”

“So, what now?” You asked once the three of you were outside the theater building again.

“Hm, I guess we need to go see Hongseok. I’m sure he’ll have some poison for you,” Shinwon replied and you almost flinched at his words. How could he say it so casually, as if it wasn’t a big deal? As if you weren’t supposed to kill someone with it?

“Off to the White Castle we go,” Changgu agreed. “The King is the best address for anyone seeking leach or lotion or poison or potions.”

“Hare! You can’t call him that. Not here.” Shinwon reprimanded him, his eyes searching the streets around you cautiously.

“Right, right. The Un-King, the Used-To-Be-King, the No-More-King,” Changgu corrected. “Either way, chemistry has always been Hongseok’s strong suit.”

You weren’t sure if brewing lethal poison was really part of regular chemistry, but you’d been curious about Hongseok anyway after everything they’d said and it wasn’t like you had a better idea.

“Wooseok will be there too,” Shinwon looked at you with a small smile. “Maybe you’d feel better after talking to him.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

You walked through the city for a bit. It was deserted again, no traces of all the people who’d still been out a while ago to attend the Queen’s so-called party. As if the sky had decided to match your mood, it had turned all black by now, lit up only by the crescent moon that was hidden behind thin clouds. Time seemed to be a little off here, and you thought you could understand the Rabbit a bit. Who wouldn’t be in a constant hurry if time passed almost randomly?

“Where’s everyone?” You eventually asked when you turned into yet another street that was completely void of people.

“It’s after the curfew,” Shinwon explained.

“Yes, the curfew,” Changgu was quick to nod. “Once the sky turned fully black, it's for the best to hurry back.”

“If the sun has fully set, it is time to go to bed,” Shinwon added.

“If the sky is in the moon, the knave of hearts will get you soon.”

“But Hare, that’s not how it goes. The moon is in the sky.”

“Hm, hm, right, that’s not how it goes,” Changgu repeated thoughtfully before his eyes widened with an epiphany. “Ah! If the moon is in the sky, fear the red Knave’s dreadful eye. For if he spots you in the street, a dire fate is what you’ll meet.”

He looked at you with a proud smile after he was done reciting his little poem, but you couldn’t really share his enthusiasm.

“So, we’re not supposed to be outside right now?”

“You’re so smart, Biscuit!”

“Then shouldn’t we go inside? And who’s the Knave anyway?” you asked, the term feeling a little familiar.

“Of Hearts,” Shinwon replied. “The Knave, that is.”

“The Knave of Hearts?”

“Yes, that’s right. He’s the Queen’s right-hand man.”

“You might have seen him at the party,” Changgu chimed in. “He has a scary look. And his birthday is in January.”

“Why does that matter?” You asked in confusion.

“Oh, it doesn’t. But it means he has an unbirthday today and instead of celebrating he’s surely out on patrol.”

“You must know me very well,” a deep voice suddenly sounded from behind you, making Changgu’s ears perk up in interest.

A man stepped out of the darkness of a house entrance, and the moment the dim light of the street lantern fell onto him, you recognized him as the guy with the wavy hair from the party. You remembered him well—mostly because of the gun that was surely tucked into the waistband of his pants even now.

“If it isn’t the Knave of Hearts himself,” Shinwon exclaimed with a delighted tone. “It’s been so long, Yuto, the last time must have been when—right, you probably wouldn’t want to talk about that. It was a dark day for your Queen after all.”

“Hatter,” Yuto replied with a straight face, his tone void of any emotion. “Always a pleasure.”

Then his eyes fell onto you.

“I see you still have your visitor with you. I would say their little scene today wasn’t a source of amusement for the Queen, but that would be a lie. In fact, Hyunggu was very amused.”

His words made a cold shiver run down your spine and you automatically took a small step back. 

“Oh, yes, our Biscuit is a very humorous person,” Shinwon replied, his voice still light but he held out his arm in front of you protectively.

Yuto huffed a laugh before glancing at the dark sky. “Still, violating the rules isn’t a funny matter. Why aren’t you in your cozy little hideout yet, Hatter?”

“We’re on our way!” Shinwon said.

Changgu nodded over-enthusiastically. “Yes, yes, on our way. Almost home!”

“Better hurry then. I won’t be as kind next time.” With that, Yuto turned around to go his way, leaving you with an anxious feeling in your stomach.

Shinwon let out a small sigh as soon as he was out of sight. “That was a close call. Now, let’s hurry, let’s hurry. I wouldn’t want to run into him twice. Not a very funny fellow.”

Shinwon and Changgu didn’t seem particularly shaken by the encounter. After a few steps they were back to their giddy selves. You on the other hand couldn’t stop yourself from checking each dark corner for a person hiding in the shadows.

When you spotted the ferris wheel towering above the surrounding buildings you started to suspect where you were headed: the amusement park. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d been there, but just like the theater it was a place with fond memories to you. 

Once you reached the entrance, Wonderland written on the archway in weathered letters, you had to find that there was none of the usual hustle and bustle. The park laid before you abandoned and still, solely the lights of the castle in the middle of the artificial lake flickered weakly in the distance. What used to be a vibrant, lively place looked washed out now, the fun rides and booths overgrown with patches of moss and their colors bleached out by the sun.

“Aaaand we made it,” Shinwon said as soon as he stepped through the entrance. 

“But we’re still outside?”

“Outside but not really. The curfew isn’t in force here.”

You looked around in confusion. You didn’t really see a reason why anything would be different on the grounds of the amusement park. “Why not?”

“Because the White King’s protective spell takes effect here. It keeps heartlings from entering. Even the Queen can’t enter,” Shinwon explained.

“The Queen isn’t as powerful as he’d like to make everyone believe,” Changgu added with a nod, as he headed straight for the shabby pedal boats in the shape of swans that were floating on the calm surface of the lake. 

He pulled one a little closer to the pier, gesturing for you to get in. When you set foot onto the boat it started to wobble dangerously and Changgu held out his hand to steady you, not letting go until you were safely sitting on the bench in the back. Shinwon got on next, taking one of the two front seats and Changgu hopped on last, after untying the rope from the metal loop on the pier. The two of them set to work, pedaling the little boat towards the small castle. As a child you had always dreamed of going there, but it hadn’t been open to the public, the pretty front just a means of decoration. Now though, there was no fence separating the little island from unwanted visitors, and the two of them easily steered the boat onto the narrow shore.

Changgu got off first, tying the rope around one of the two flagpoles that were positioned left and right of the castle. You remembered them to fly flags with the logo of the amusement park but now they were white, depicting a silver pentagon with a snowflake in the middle. The emblem of the White King, you supposed. The three of you walked the cobblestone path up to the entrance of the castle. Now that you were standing directly in front of it, it seemed way bigger than the decorative fake in your memory. It probably was bigger. 

Shinwon didn’t bother knocking on the double wing door before pushing it open and stepping inside. The lobby was all white, from the marble floor to the chandelier and it almost felt blinding.

“Hello?” Shinwon yelled into the building with the same tone you’d had at the gas station earlier today and you wondered if it was on purpose. “Hellooo?”

“Eh?” A honey blond head of hair appeared on the second floor, leaning over the handrail. “Shinwon? Changgu?”

Changgu raised his hand in a tiny wave, a dorky smile on his lips. “Hi.”

“What are you doing here?” The guy asked as he walked towards the stairs and made his way down. “And who’s your friend?”

“Y/n,” you introduced yourself before anyone could beat you to it and say Alice or Biscuit.

The guy came to a halt in front of you and only now you realized how incredibly tall he was. There was nothing intimidating about him though as he looked at you through big doe eyes. His hair was combed back in neat waves and he was wearing a sweater vest that was loose even on his lanky frame.

“Wooseok,” he introduced himself and held out his hand in a greeting. In comparison to everyone else he seemed surprisingly normal.

“So, what are you doing here?”

“We’re looking for Hongseok,” Shinwon explained, slipping out of his shoes and leaving them by the entrance as if he was visiting someone else’s apartment and not the prop castle of an amusement park. Changgu did the same though and you realized Wooseok was wearing slippers as well, so you too toed out of your shoes. Surprisingly enough, the marble floor didn’t feel very cold beneath your feet at all.

“He’s in the kitchen,” Wooseok nodded towards a corridor to his right.

“Alright!” 

Shinwon sauntered down the hall with the casualty of someone who’d been there a thousand times before and Changgu followed along just as naturally. You were a few steps behind them, Wooseok next to you. He kept glancing over to you curiously but didn’t say anything.

“Hongseok!” Shinwon greeted just a bit too loudly as he threw open a door to reveal a spacious kitchen.

A man with curly brown hair looked up in surprise, his hands covered in flour and a white apron tied around his waist.

“Oh, Hatter. And Hare.” He went over to the sink and rinsed his hands before his gaze fell on you. “And another guest?”

“Yes, this is—”

“Alice!” Changgu interrupted his friend, visibly excited about sharing the news.

“Alice?” Wooseok’s head snapped around to you and he stared at you with wide eyes. “So, you’re—you’re not from here?”

You just looked back at him. You’d already been told that Wooseok was the old Alice, but it hadn’t even occurred to you that maybe he too wasn’t from this universe.

“Now, now,” Hongseok walked over to you, wiping his wet hands on his apron. “We shouldn’t corner our new Alice like that. What’s your name?”

“Y/n.”

“A pretty name,” he smiled and gently squeezed your hand. “I’m Hongseok, the White King, but you might have heard. Wooseok was our last Alice, but his part has already played out.”

“Yes, yes,” Shinwon interrupted. “Biscuit already knows all that. But what we don’t know yet is how to kill the Queen of Hearts.”

“Oh,” Hongseok’s eyes widened in surprise. “Is that your part?”

“Seems like it,” you murmured, not withholding that you weren’t exactly fond of it all.

“Mhm, so it’s that time already. It’s really coming to this.” With a swift movement of his hand he motioned for the others to leave. “Give us a moment, will you?”

They did as they were told, though Wooseok lingered a moment longer before actually stepping out and closing the door behind him. 

“Do you want to drink something? A coffee? A hot chocolate? I have cookies too.”

You were inclined to say no, but when you gave it another thought you realized you hadn’t eaten anything in quite a while and could also really use the comfort of a hot drink. Hongseok prepared a hot chocolate and a plate of cookies for you, while you sat down at the small table in the corner of the room. Once he was done he sat down across from you, his eyes calm and gentle. After how Shinwon and Changgu had talked about him, it shouldn’t have surprised you, but it still amazed you how different his whole aura was compared to the Queen of Hearts. Where the Queen had been intimidating and rash, Hongseok radiated kindness and patience.

“Here,” He mumbled after a moment, nudging the plate of cookies a bit in your direction to encourage you to try some. “They are good, I promise. I only just made them this morning.”

You hesitantly took one and started to nibble on it, only to find that Hongseok had been way too humble—it tasted amazing.

“See? They are good right?” He looked a little proud when you nodded. “So, do you want to tell me about it? About what’s written in the script?”

In all honesty, you didn’t. But it seemed like he wanted to help so you told him about everything that you’d found out at the theater. Through it all, Hongseok listened calmly.

“So now,” you concluded your story, “I have to find a way to actually do it.”

“Well,” Hongseok nodded slowly, “here’s the thing: the Queen of Hearts is not easily harmed. Not just anyone can—it has to be Alice. And even then, there’s only one weakness.” 

“Which?” 

“The heart.”

“The heart?” In a way it seemed plausible for that to be the weakness of someone called the Queen of Hearts, but at the same time it seemed a little too simple.

“Yes.”

“How do I do it then?”

“Mhm,” he got up from his chair and walked towards a glass cabinet with a zillion little bottles and jars inside.

“I know of two ways. One is this,” he held up a little test glass with a dark red liquid in it. You swallowed around the lump in your throat. 

“Poison?” 

“It's the blood of the Jabberwocky to be precise. But poison describes it just fine. Once it gets into your body it will pollute your blood and ultimately make your heart stop.”

Maybe it wouldn’t be that hard. You could just add some to his food. Still, the thought of being able to feel it invading your blood circulation made your skin crawl. “And the other way?” 

“I doubt you’ll like it.” 

“What is it?” 

Hongseok sighed before opening the drawer beneath the glass cabinet. He pulled out a silver dagger so radiant it almost looked white. He held it out to you and you hesitated before you stood up and took it with trembling fingers. It was lighter than you’d expected and ice cold to the touch. 

“If you stab him with that—but it needs to be right in the heart.”

That was definitely worse. You would never be able to actually go through with something like that.

“I couldn’t,” you pressed out, holding it out in your open palm for Hongseok to take it back. 

But he gently closed your hand around the hilt again. 

“You don’t have to use it. But keep it, just in case.” 

“There won’t be a case.” 

“All the better.”

Hongseok had invited all three of you to spend the night in the castle, so you wouldn’t have to go out during the curfew again. The room you’d gotten was fancy and as white and shiny as the rest of the castle’s interior. In the middle of it was a soft bed that smelled like vanilla and fresh snow and just waited for you to slip under the covers, but you felt restless. You paced the room, unable to tune out that there was a dagger and a little heart shaped pendant with poison laying on your nightstand. This definitely wasn’t how you’d expected your day to end. It seemed to have gone downhill from the moment you’d stepped foot to that cursed party, but when Shinwon had talked about the Caterpillar having answers, there’d been a sliver of hope flaring up inside of you. Now, there was nothing left of that.

Even though you’d gotten your answer on how to get back to your world, you didn’t feel relieved in the slightest. All you could think of was the horrifying things you’d have to go through before finally going back. And the worst part was that you didn’t seem to have a choice, not really. Even if you decided it wasn’t worth it and you’d just stay—what was written in the script would happen either way.

series masterlist // character introduction // ptg masterlist

[breitzbachbea]

AU where the twins are much younger and still don't like their big brother's new boyfriend, but then realize Harry does all the bullshit Michele always berates them for & now they are pranksters together.

[oldschoolfrp]

Undead in the corridors below the castle (Eric Larnoy, from AD&D scenario "Huis-clos en enfer," Casus Belli 45, June 1988)

[clubwnderland]

↳ 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒔 ༉‧₊ [ jongin plot pt. 3]

cw: anxiety, panic, talking about patricide

When Jongin finally wakes up, a cold compress on his forehead, his eyes take a while to adjust to the morning light. There's a mix of scents, Jangmi, Channie... Chan, all mixing together as there's movement throughout the apartment.

"Ugh," he groans, sitting up and rubbing his face. He wishes he didn't know how he ended up here, that he couldn't remember why he ended up running to Jangmi's house only to have a fucking panic attack on the floor but he does. Clear as day. The painful reminder of what happened taunting him all over again as he tries to figure out how to fix it this time.

Ten years. He can't believe it's been that long. How could he forget?

Getting out of bed and heading for the living room, Jongin is greeted by noise and the smell of pancakes. "You're awake!" Channie rushes towards him, pouting and hugging him tightly, burying his face into Jongin's neck while the other wolf takes a moment to still himself.

Fuck, how is he going to tell Channie?

The fox takes a little longer to approach but he can see her glancing over her shoulder every so often to look at him while she helped Chan make breakfast. Taking Channie's hand, he leads his mate-to-be to the couch and sits down, thinking over the words in his head. He thinks about it all, the words, the reaction and then finally, the fear that'll run across Channie's face. Jongin is overthinking again, his heart rate starting to pick up and the room starts to spin. "Nini?" Channie's voice sounds like it's coming from underwater, "Nini- Jongin!"

Jongin snaps back to reality, seeing Channie's worried face looking at him while the other two are standing at the table, watching. Jangmi clears her throat, knowing what's causing the fear to run through her best friend so she gives him a distraction. "Breakfast is ready."

Breakfast, yes, he needs to eat... and then he can figure the rest out afterwards.

"We should go." Jongin says, looking at the time as he stands up and Jangmi looks over at him. He doesn't know whether she's told Chan, he assumes that she has because she tells the wolf everything but Jongin doesn't think that he can sit there and talk to Channie with the audience watching.

"Are you sure? What are you going to do-"

"I'll deal with it." He cuts her off and cause her ears to fall flat on her head and Chan to protectively wrap his arms around her, narrowing his eyes. Sighing, Jongin pinches the bridge of his nose before taking Channie's hand. "Just trust me okay? I'll figure something out."

It's a quick exit, not at all calm and gracious like he would have hoped but that tends to happen when things are tense, don't they? He's not good at dealing with this sort of stuff especially when he's hiding a big secret from the people he loves. Jongin is trying, he's trying to figure out how to tell Channie, he's trying to figure out whether he can strike another deal with Irene, he's trying to learn what Hui knows and if anything can be pointed to him.

All of these things have so many variables that the wolf can't even predict what's going to happen so he focuses on the worst case scenario - Channie will hate him forever, he'll be dumped and left without a pack, his own pack will kill him for retribution and not even Irene will be able to save him.

That's the worst case scenario.

That's the thought that has his heart racing and making his palms sweaty.

"Can you please talk to me, Nini? You're scaring me..." Channie can pick up on his boyfriend's nerves. He might not know why but he can tell that something has Jongin on high alert and his scent all over the place.

Jongin runs his hand through his hair, trying to think. He has to tell Channie... but... "If I tell you... no, we need to go see Irene." Channie doesn't resist when Jongin takes the keys from him and walks towards the door to get outside so he can take deep breathes of fresh air. He knows this is not helping Channie but god, he really doesn't know.

How the fuck do you even tell someone this?

"Puppy." The red tail lights of the car in front of them stand out and Jongin takes a deep breath, deciding it's now or never. "You know how I told you that my father died, how Hui and I took over the pack afterwards?" The swallow gets stuck in his throat and he almost chokes on it. "Well, I never told you how he died."

There's a pause, a long one, long enough that Jongin could almost convince himself that this doesn't need to be said.

"I killed him." He blurts out, knuckles turning white as he grips the steering wheel so tight that he could almost rip it off. "During a training session, in the height of a full moon, he was... he did... I- I didn't mean to." His teeth clench, almost shattering under the pressure as he refuses to look at the other wolf because he's scared what he's going to see. "I couldn't take it anymore... he broke me... I didn't know- I didn't mean to... I just wanted it to stop." Now that the words have been said, Jongin begins rambling and unable to stop them from flooding out.

He tells Channie everything he can remember, how he just wished his dad loved him, how he couldn't take it anymore, how it hurt too much even though he couldn't feel anymore. He unloads everything as his heart smashes against his ribcage and the feeling of throwing up comes and goes.

"When I came to, I was covered in blood and he was laying there... looking at me." The car comes to a stop at Chris and Irene's house and Jongin still hadn't looked at Channie.

He couldn't.

Moments tick by, seconds becoming what felt like minutes before anyone spoke again. Channie takes a moment, processing everything that had just been said and while it is a lot, one thing remains clear - Jongin is hurting. He's been hiding this, holding this burden so tightly to his chest that the thought of it killed him inside.

"Nini..." Channie licks his lips, unsure on how to approach this as he's not exactly the best with talking. He's not Chan, he doesn't have the words but Channie knows Jongin, he knows what he needs, what he's scared of and the thing Jongin is terrified about right now is that Channie thinks he's a monster. "I love you, Wolfman." He reaches over to turn Jongin's face towards him, the wolf not looking at him right away. "I love you and I know... mmm, well, I don't know how this would have been for you but I know you didn't deserve it!"

"I killed him, Puppy."

Well, he kinda deserved it... is something Channie knows he can't say but did think. "You protected yourself. There's nothing wrong with that."

Gentle caresses, noses rubbing against each other as their foreheads rest together. Deep breathes in and out, sharing each other's space in a way that helps the eccentric heart of the Alpha slow down to a steady beat. "You don't hate me?"

A reassuring smile reaches the younger's eyes as he stares lovingly into his. "I could never."

The weight those three words lift are like a heavy boulder that's been sitting on his chest, a relief unlike anything he's ever known. Channie doesn't hate him, he couldn't hate him, and that was all Jongin needed.

No matter what happened next, as the couple get out of the car and walk towards the house, Jongin knows he won't have to face alone.

Never again.

[heretherebedork]

This coming from the guy who keeps chasing the gay man who doesn't want him instead of the near-boyfriend he's actually got? I wouldn't listen to you either, dude.

The worst part is that he's right but he's the wrong person to be saying it and he's mostly wrong about Din Huy... maybe. Hard to tell, tbh.

I love this boy and his sweater and his absolute willingness to send love to his friend even though it ends up going very, very wrong. But also that SWEATER. Colorful stripes! Love it.

He's seriously so close to a realization but quickly draws back from this. See, I wish I could trust O2 but they haven't given me a good happy ending in a bit too long so I'm just not sure what they're gonna do.

Ah, yes, the infamous 'romcom overhearing a conversation you shouldn't that breaks your heart' can't do without that one.

Sigh. This plot is gonna be a... thing. Definitely a thing. They made out last episode so now we got the supposedly straight guy rejecting him only for it to turn into a flirting challenge which like... doesn't really work in this scenario? Like, it just doesn't work.